Imagine having a headache that lasts for a week. Traci Richardson has suffered these migraines since she was a teenager, but lately they’ve become progressively worse. She’s like a lot of people who can’t tolerate medications for migraines and cluster headaches, and turned to Botox injections, which offered some relief.

            Recently though, Traci, who works as a nurse at The University of Kansas Health System’s Neurology Clinic, found out about a brand new non-invasive treatment for migraines being offered in her clinic. It’s called gammaCore, a handheld device that delivers an electrical pulse to stimulate the vagus nerve in the neck. The nerve is an important highway of communication between the brain and many parts of the body, helping regulate pain. When a migraine begins, Traci applies a small amount of gel to her neck, then holds the device there for two minutes to stimulate the vagus nerve. She’s been able to get relief within 30 minutes.

            In the video, Dr. Deetra Ford, a neurologist at The University of Kansas Health System who specializes in migraine treatment, explains how excited they are to offer the gammaCore technology. She says it’s not a painful procedure, and it’s not a medication that makes a patient tired or nauseated.

            Also in the video, Traci Richardson talks about her history with migraines, and how they’ve affected her busy life. She discusses the various treatments she’s tried over the years, and how happy she is to have such an easy and non-invasive way to treat her migraines.

            The video also shows Traci using the gammaCore device.