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Cerena Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator, a device that can be used to relieve pain caused by migraines has been allowed for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Migraine headaches are characterized by intense pulsing or throbbing pain in just one area of the head. The pain, in most of the cases is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound.

When migraine is left untreated, it can last between 4 to 72 hours. These severe headaches affect at least 10 per cent of people worldwide. The condition is three times more common in women than in men.

“Millions of people suffer from migraines and this new device represents a new treatment option for some patients,” Christy Foreman, director of the Office of Device Evaluation in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health said in a statement.

The Cerena TMS is kind of prescription device that can be used after the onset of pain associated with migraine headaches that are proceeded by an aura. Aura is experienced by about third of people with migraines.

Before reaching such conclusion, FDA reviewed a randomized control clinical trial of 201 patients. These patients had mostly moderate to strong migraine headaches and also had experienced auras.

The study showed that around 38 percent of total who uses the Cerena TMS when they had migraine pain, experienced the positive effect after 2 hours. After a day around 34 per cent of the Cerena TMS users were pain free.

However the device is prohibited for use to those who have metals in the head, neck or upper parts of the body that can be attracted by a magnet.