Jennifer Matthews: Imagine being able to get rid of a migraine with just the pull of a trigger.
Sheralee Nester: When the first time I did it, I was really scared to push that button the first time. After that, it was fine.
Jennifer Matthews: This Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator or TMS, for short, is the latest weapon being studied to alleviate migraine headaches.
Dr. Yousef Mohammad: By creating a magnetic field with this device, we're hoping that this will interrupt this electrical stimulation before it leads to the throbbing migraine headache.
Jennifer Matthews: Sheralee Nester's first signs of a migraine are bright sparkles and blurred vision. Then, her day goes downhill.
Sheralee Nester: It was usually about four hours of nausea, vomiting, pain to get rid of it.
Dr. Yousef Mohammad: Push on the trigger and then you will hear two pulses, a few seconds apart and that's it.
Jennifer Matthews: Sheralee joined Dr. Yousef Mohammad's study at Ohio State University Medical Center. He says the TMS intercepts an electrical process in the brain cells.
Dr. Yousef Mohammad: We're treating electricity with electricity instead of treating electricity with chemicals.
Jennifer Matthews: Dr. Mohammad says the device is safe, and the pulses feel like slight pressure. Sheralee says she's felt relief.
Sheralee Nester: You can go on with your day. It's a miracle, it really is. It's a God-sent.
Jennifer Matthews: Instead of four hours of pain, Sheralee says her migraine episodes are down to 10 minutes with the TMS. This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
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