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Action News Jax investigates a breakthrough technique for migraines

Intense and often sudden headaches can be debilitating.

Now, migraine sufferers may find relief in a new breakthrough technique.

Action News Jax’s Deanna Bettineschi found a simple piercing could bring relief from all that pain.

Paula Nicholls has suffered from migraine headaches since second grade. The pain is so intense, she's hoping a trip to a tattoo studio will bring relief.

Migraine medicines haven't worked, so Nicholls is trying out a new trend that involves piercing a portion of your ear, known as the daith.

Daith piercing was the topic of a paper by UF Health neurologist Edward Neely presented at the American Headache Society this June

“I've seen some patients with good response and other with virtually no response,” Neely said.

Neely said one patient has been headache free for at least 18 months. He said the daith piercings go through the vagus nerve.

“So potentially piercing that nerve can act like a permanent acupuncture needle,” Neely said.

Professional piercer Kelly Buscher said while these kinds of piercings are nothing new, thanks to social media, the trend for headache relief has grown in just the last the past year.

“There have been days where I've done 10 piercings where it's just the daith only,” Buscher said.

For Nicholls, a chance to be pain-free was worth exploring.

Within a minute, Nicholls’ piercing was done and she said the pressure in the left side of her head was gone.

“I usually have a lot of sinus pressure and a lot of pressure near my face, but I automatically felt the difference between my left side and my right side -- it feels more free on this side and it feels amazing,” Nicholls said.

“People are tired of the medications, Botox, so they're using this as one of the last resorts and taking a jump to see if it works,” Buscher said.

Neely said the procedure may not work for everyone, but it’s something more people may decide to  try, hoping for even a chance to live a life pain free.

Action News Jax Investigates

Have intense headaches or migraines? We looked into one change that could keep you headache free – for good.

Posted by Action News Jax on Monday, October 30, 2017