Could a simple nerve block ease menstrual migraines?
NCT ID NCT07576309
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether injecting a local anesthetic (bupivacaine) into nerves at the back of the head could reduce menstrual migraine pain. Forty-eight women with menstrual migraines received either the active drug or a placebo (salt water) twice a month for three months. The goal was to see if the nerve block could lessen headache severity, shorten attacks, and reduce the number of painful days.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- bupivacaine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, non-daily treatment option for women with menstrual migraines, reducing pain and disability during their periods.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with only 48 participants. The results may not apply to all migraine types, and nerve blocks carry risks like pain, bleeding, or infection at the injection site.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
48 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2024
- Finished
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Nov 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 50 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed with pure menstrual migraine or menstrually related migraine according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3) diagnostic criteria. * A documented history of migraine attacks during the perimenstrual period (between days -2 and +3 relative to the onset of menstruation) in at least two of the last three menstrual cycles. Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of chronic migraine. * Presence of an additional primary or secondary headache disorder. * Pregnant or lactating. * Known hypersensitivity to local anesthetics. * Received an occipital nerve blockade within the last three months. * Presence of a significant neurological or systemic disease that could affect the outcome evaluation.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi
Istanbul, Istanbul, 34668, Turkey (Türkiye)
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