Doctor: 'Head On' No Headache Cure

(CBS)  Odds are you've seen the TV commercial that repeats the phrase, " 'Head On,' apply directly to the forehead" over and over.

It touts the benefits of an over-the-counter product.

The ads used to say rubbing it on your forehead would relieve headaches, but then the Better Business Bureau announced that, "The company failed to provide any reliable clinical testing to support its claims."

The commercials no longer claim Head On works, but they've become something of a pop phenomenon.

On The Early Show Wednesday, Dr. Dara Jamieson, director of the Headache Center of New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, told Russ Mitchell, "The only thing distinctive about this product is its commercial. There's nothing in the ingredients that would treat headaches. The concentration of the ingredients is so minute that you wouldn't think it would treat headaches."

Still, Mitchell pointed out, some people claim Head On works for them.

"If you believe a headache product works, you may get some benefit from it," Jamieson explained. "There's a large placebo response to headache treatment. That's what you may see with this product. People may say they feel a sensation when they rub it on their forehead, but that would be a sensation that wouldn't have any mechanismistic effect on the headache itself."

But Jamieson says she wouldn't go so far as to call Head On dangerous: "There's no danger except the economic danger of taking money that could be used for, say, the co-pay to see your doctor to talk about your headaches, and figure out why you have headaches and what would be the best treatment for you.

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[reginate]

I'm a 20 year migraine sufferer and HEAD ON works for me... and for the four other migraine sufferer I've shared it with. How can people make these claims that its bogus and get it pulled from the shelves when it is helping people!? It seems to increas circulation to my forehead but I've tried muscle rubs when HAED ON wasn't available and its not the same. This stuff is the bomb.. It helps me be able to think and function and think of something other than, "oh my gosh my head hurts, so bad!" I have a neurologist and three meds for migraines so It's not like I'm not actively seeking medical treatment other ways but if I don't have to take pill and a nap to relieve the pain that's a bonus!!

[harveynl]

HeadOn works for me. Yes it causes a cold feeling, especially if you go outside. But it draws blood to the surface and helps the headache feel better. I have asked doctors about my headaches. It is not a placebo! Why can't I find it on the market now? I have used wet towels on my head and frozen vegetables before I got HeadOn.

[MedicMaria]

Head On works for me. In fact, I passed it around to many others with migranes and it worked for them too. To bad Dr Jamieson never did a study for this product. It's no placebo...it really works! And much better than the pills my doctor prescibed for my migranes-which take forever to work and I need to lay down for awhile. I no longer use them. But I do use Head On!