Cefaly vs. Nerivio: Which Migraine Treatment is Best for You?

Chronic migraine is a long-term condition that can significantly impact your life. It involves recurrent headache-like attacks that affect your function. 

Migraine attacks are more than typical headaches. They can involve many sensory symptoms. During the attack phase of a migraine, you might experience:

• Pulsing or throbbing severe head pain that is often one sided but not exclusively
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Light sensitivity
• Sensitivity to sound and noise

Before a migraine attack, many people experience a phase called an aura. During this phase, you can tell a migraine attack is coming because of visual changes, tingling sensations, or speech difficulties. 

Delaware NeuroRehab in Dover, Delaware, specializes in preventive migraine treatments to reduce the number of migraines you experience. Personalized neurorehabilitation is key to improving your quality of life with chronic migraine, and our team can guide you through your treatment options. 

In this article, we compare Cefaly® and Nerivio®, two neuromodulation devices that can stop migraine attacks before they happen. 

The benefits of Cefaly

Cefaly is a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) device. You wear the headband-like device on your forehead, which positions an electrode in the center of your forehead. 

You wear the device for 20 minutes at a time to relax nerves in the area. With multiple settings, you can prevent migraines before they start or treat them as they begin. 

Benefits of Cefaly include:

• An easy-to-use device
• Available without a prescription
• Few potential side effects
• No medications necessary
• Multiple settings for migraine treatment and prevention

Since Cefaly has minimal side effects and complication risks, it’s an excellent first treatment choice. 

The benefits of Nerivio

Nerivio is a prescription remote electrical neuromodulation (REN) device you wear on your arm. It stimulates your nerves at a specific frequency to essentially “distract” your brain from the pain and sensory symptoms of a migraine attack. 

The benefits of Nerivio include:

• Conveniently controllable using your smartphone
• Approved for anyone over age 8
• No medications necessary
• Can be used to treat or prevent migraine

You might find it less distracting because you wear the device on your arm instead of your head. Your head may be extra sensitive during a migraine, so an armband may be preferable. Plus, you can hide it under your clothing. 

Choosing the right treatment for you

Our multidisciplinary team at Delaware NeuroRehab can help you compare neuromodulation devices for migraines based on your lifestyle and health. You might benefit from multiple treatments, and it may take several attempts to find a migraine treatment that works best for you. 

Request an appointment online or over the phone at Delaware NeuroRehab today.