According to the application submitted to the FDA, the gammaCore device uses electric shocks to kill , and is capable of giving people meaningful relief within 15-30 minutes. With fewer side effects than current drug treatments, if approved, the device may help millions of migraine sufferers.

How gammaCore Works

The gammaCore device is a relatively new approach to treating migraines. Instead of utilizing the current drug treatments, the device attempts to give people relief by using electric shocks along the vagus nerves, which run down either side of the neck, to reduce migraine pain. The vagus nerve runs from the trunk to the brain stem. When electric shocks enter the vagus nerve, they are transmitted along the nerve to the brain stem, which passes signals along to the brain, reducing pain.

Vagus nerve stimulation has been tried before for migraine headaches, but it has typically been delivered by an implanted device that has an electrode wrapped around the vagus nerve. Most often, the treatment is prescribed for epilepsy or depression, but sometimes the patients also have migraines, which are also relieved by the treatment. Few clinical studies have been published on this treatment, so it’s likely that the ones supporting this device’s application are likely to be the largest ones tried.

What makes gammaCore different from previous vagus nerve stimulation is that, instead of being implanted, it’s an external device, about the size of an electric shaver. However, instead of three heads, it just has two, the electrodes. When pressed to the neck, it delivers a shock about two minutes in duration. According to the manufacturer, 70% of people saw relief with the device.

Drug-Free Migraine Treatment Today

The gammaCore may be years from approval by the FDA, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to get drug-free migraine relief. TMJ treatment is highly effective at reducing the frequency and intensity of migraines. Some people may even see long periods without any migraines.

To learn whether TMJ treatment can help your migraines, please contact Smile Columbia Dentistry to talk to a neuromuscular dentist in Columbia, SC.