MediatakePersistent migraines and cluster headaches disrupt the lives, careers, and families of many people who struggle to find relief from debilitating pain.
Migraine is one of the world’s most common health conditions, affects roughly 39 million people in the United States, making it the sixth most prevalent illness in the world according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease study.
In addition, recent studies on symptoms of "long-haul" Covid-19 states that migraine is a common long-term effect of the illness.Common symptoms of migraines include a throbbing pain or pulsing sensation on one side of the head, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound, according to the Mayo Clinic.Medications can provide some relief, but many come with side effects that can be as bad as the headaches themselves, and invasive procedures carry additional risks for complicationsFew effective options are available for migraine and cluster headache sufferers.
Some patients try non-traditional therapies such as biofeedback, acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy, and herbal remedies, but success is limited, according to research.However, evidence suggests that stimulation of the vagus nerve, a large nerve that helps the body regulate pain, can provide relief from migraines and cluster headaches.The benefits of vagus nerve stimulation are especially notable for populations seeking safe, simple, drug-free treatments, such as adolescents and veterans.
"Over time, we have learned about the incredible power of the vagus nerve," says Peter Staats, MD, chief medical officer at the National Spine and Pain Centers and chief medical officer of electroCore, the makers of the gammaCore device.
"We achieved a technical breakthrough in 2010 when we developed the ability to administer vagus nerve stimulation non-invasively by delivering a proprietary signal through the skin to either the right or the left branches of the vagus nerve in the neck," he says.Kerrie Smyres began using gammaCore in June 2016.
MediatakePersistent migraines and cluster headaches disrupt the lives, careers, and families of many people who struggle to find relief from debilitating pain.
Migraine is one of the world’s most common health conditions, affects roughly 39 million people in the United States, making it the sixth most prevalent illness in the world according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease study.
In addition, recent studies on symptoms of "long-haul" Covid-19 states that migraine is a common long-term effect of the illness.Common symptoms of migraines include a throbbing pain or pulsing sensation on one side of the head, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound, according to the Mayo Clinic.Medications can provide some relief, but many come with side effects that can be as bad as the headaches themselves, and invasive procedures carry additional risks for complicationsFew effective options are available for migraine and cluster headache sufferers.
Some patients try non-traditional therapies such as biofeedback, acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy, and herbal remedies, but success is limited, according to research.However, evidence suggests that stimulation of the vagus nerve, a large nerve that helps the body regulate pain, can provide relief from migraines and cluster headaches.The benefits of vagus nerve stimulation are especially notable for populations seeking safe, simple, drug-free treatments, such as adolescents and veterans.
"Over time, we have learned about the incredible power of the vagus nerve," says Peter Staats, MD, chief medical officer at the National Spine and Pain Centers and chief medical officer of electroCore, the makers of the gammaCore device.
"We achieved a technical breakthrough in 2010 when we developed the ability to administer vagus nerve stimulation non-invasively by delivering a proprietary signal through the skin to either the right or the left branches of the vagus nerve in the neck," he says.Kerrie Smyres began using gammaCore in June 2016.