Can Cooling Through Your Nose Help Stop a Migraine?
Yes. In this pilot study, 87% of migraine patients had benefit from intranasal evaporative cooling within 2 hours, and the relief lasted for 24 hours. This device sprays a cooling mist into the nose to reduce migraine pain.
Cryotherapy (cold therapy) is the most common non-drug method that migraine sufferers use to relieve pain. Researchers tested a new approach: cooling through the nose. The inside of your nose has lots of blood vessels close to the brain. Cooling this area can transfer cool blood to the brain’s outer layer, potentially reducing migraine pain.
What the Data Show
- Immediate relief: 40% of treatments (8 out of 20) made patients completely pain-free right after treatment
- Partial relief: An additional 50% of treatments (10 out of 20) reduced headache from severe/moderate to mild
- 2-hour results: 45% achieved full pain and symptom relief, another 45% had partial relief
- 24-hour results: 50% reported complete pain and symptom freedom
- Overall benefit: 87% of patients (13 out of 15) had benefit within 2 hours that lasted 24 hours
Dr. Kumar’s Take
This is an interesting approach to migraine treatment. The nose provides direct access to cool the blood vessels near the brain. I’m impressed that 87% of patients got meaningful relief. However, this was a small pilot study without a placebo control. We need larger, blinded studies to confirm these results. Still, for migraine sufferers who don’t respond well to medications, this could be a promising option worth watching.
How It Works
The RhinoChill device uses a special coolant that evaporates inside your nose. This cools the nasal cavity by about 2°C. The cooling works through several pathways:
Vasoconstriction: Cold causes blood vessels to narrow, reducing blood flow and inflammation.
Pain gating: Cold slows down nerve signals, which can block pain signals from reaching the brain.
Metabolic slowdown: Cold reduces the energy demands of cells, which may calm overactive brain activity during migraines.
The nasal passages connect to blood vessels that reach the brain’s outer protective layer (the dura). This creates a direct cooling pathway that doesn’t require the cold to travel through the whole body.
Study Design
This pilot study enrolled 28 patients who met the standard criteria for migraine. A total of 20 treatments were given to 15 patients. Researchers measured pain and symptoms using a 0-10 scale before treatment and at follow-up calls 2 and 24 hours later. The study was open-label, meaning patients knew they were getting the real treatment.
Practical Takeaways
- Intranasal cooling shows promise as a non-drug migraine treatment
- Benefits appeared quickly and lasted at least 24 hours for most patients
- The device has been safely used in other medical settings
- More research is needed before this becomes widely available
- Traditional ice packs on the neck or forehead remain accessible cold therapy options
Related Studies and Research
- Related Podcast Episode
- Cold Water Swimming: Benefits and Risks (narrative review)
- Trigeminal cardiac reflex and cerebral blood flow regulation (review)
- Winter swimming improves general well-being (PDF)
- RCT: cold-water immersion vs massage for DOMS after CrossFit Murph
FAQs
How does intranasal cooling work for migraines?
The device sprays a cooling mist into your nose. The cold transfers to blood vessels that connect to the brain’s outer layer. This may reduce inflammation and slow pain signals.
Is this treatment available to the public?
This was a pilot study. The device was originally developed for brain cooling in cardiac arrest patients. Larger clinical trials are needed before it would be widely available for migraines.
How does this compare to using ice packs?
Ice packs on the neck or forehead are the most common self-administered cold therapy for migraines. Intranasal cooling may be more direct, but ice packs are immediately available and free.
Bottom Line
This pilot study found that intranasal evaporative cooling provided significant relief for 87% of migraine patients. The treatment worked quickly, with 40% becoming pain-free immediately after treatment. Benefits lasted at least 24 hours for most patients. While promising, this was a small study without a control group, so larger trials are needed. Cooling through the nose offers a unique pathway to potentially reduce brain inflammation and pain during migraines without medication.
