Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation · Calabasas
gammaCore Therapy
in Calabasas
A non-invasive, FDA-cleared option that may be considered for certain headache types, after an evaluation.
If migraine or cluster headache has been interrupting your work, sleep and confidence, your symptoms are real, and you deserve a careful explanation before any treatment is discussed. At California Brain & Spine Center in Calabasas, Dr. Alireza Chizari, DC, DACNB, a Board-Certified Functional Neurologist, considers gammaCore therapy only after an evaluation and a safety screening, as one part of a personalized plan when it is clinically appropriate, never as a shortcut.
The quick, honest answer
What gammaCore therapy is, in 30 seconds
What it is
Handheld vagus nerve stimulation
A handheld, non-invasive device, FDA-cleared for certain headache types. It is placed on the side of the neck, where you can feel your pulse, and delivers mild electrical stimulation through the skin to the vagus nerve, with no surgery and no implant.
Who it may help
Certain headache types
Its cleared uses are migraine prevention in adolescents aged 12 and older and in adults, cluster headache in adults, and two headache types called hemicrania continua and paroxysmal hemicrania. It is not right for everyone, and candidacy is individual.
Next step
Clarity, not guesswork
Request a personalized neurological and functional evaluation in Calabasas. Dr. Chizari reviews your history, triggers and goals before discussing whether gammaCore belongs in your plan.
The vagus nerve
One nerve, many connections
gammaCore is a handheld, non-invasive vagus nerve stimulator. It is placed on either side of the neck, over the spot where you can feel your pulse, and it delivers mild electrical stimulation through the skin to the vagus nerve, without surgery, as the manufacturer's gammaCore FAQ describes.
The device is FDA-cleared for certain headache types, and it may be used as part of a personalized plan for its cleared headache uses. It is never a standalone shortcut here: Dr. Chizari looks at the broader picture, including eye movements, balance, vestibular (inner-ear balance) function, autonomic regulation (the automatic control of heart rate and blood pressure), cognitive load and posture, and gammaCore is considered only when the findings support it.
The science of VNS
How vagus nerve stimulation may help
Careful language matters here. These cards summarize what published trials report, including where the results were mixed.
Stimulates the Vagus Nerve
Mild electrical stimulation through the skin of the neck reaches the vagus nerve, with no surgery and no implanted device.
Migraine Trial Results
In one randomized, sham-controlled trial in episodic migraine, stimulation did better than a sham (an inactive look-alike device) for pain freedom at early time points after an attack began, although the trial's main measure was not statistically significant. Results were mixed.
A Non-Invasive Adjunct
In trials it was generally well tolerated, and the side effects reported were generally mild and short-lived. It is used alongside standard care and your prescribed medication, never in place of them.
Cluster Headache Trial Results
In sham-controlled cluster headache trials, the main measures were not met, but each showed a benefit over sham in episodic cluster headache, which suggests it may help some people. In chronic cluster headache, adding it to standard care did better than standard care alone, as summarized in a review in the American Journal of Managed Care.
Watch
See gammaCore in action
This short video shows the gammaCore device and where it is placed on the neck. Whether it belongs in your plan is decided only after an evaluation.
Who it may help
Patterns gammaCore may be considered for
gammaCore is FDA-cleared for the headache types in the first row. The second row shows patterns the evaluation also looks at; they are not cleared uses of gammaCore, and the plan for them is built from your findings.
Migraine
Cleared for preventive treatment of migraine in adolescents aged 12 and older and in adults
Cluster Headache
Cleared for acute and preventive treatment of cluster headache in adults
Hemicrania Continua & Paroxysmal Hemicrania
Cleared for the treatment of hemicrania continua and paroxysmal hemicrania
Dysautonomia
Heart rate and other autonomic findings are examined in the evaluation; dysautonomia is not a cleared use of gammaCore
Visual & Motion Sensitivity
Light, screen and motion sensitivity are part of the examination; they are not cleared uses of gammaCore
Post-Traumatic Headache
Headaches after a concussion are evaluated for their own drivers; this is not a cleared use of gammaCore
Depending on your findings, the plan may sit alongside headache & migraine care, concussion treatment in Calabasas or dysautonomia care, with gammaCore considered only for its cleared headache uses.
The pathway
Organized, transparent, personal
You remain the hero of the story. The clinic acts as the guide, providing testing, education and honest feedback along the way.
Listen carefully
Your story: symptoms, triggers, frustration, previous care, and what you want life to feel like again.
Evaluate the nervous system
Visual, vestibular, autonomic, cognitive, cervical and balance findings, plus the safety screening, before making any recommendation.
Match the plan
If gammaCore fits, Dr. Chizari explains placement, safety and how it supports the larger plan.
Add rehabilitation
When needed: vestibular, cognitive, neuroplasticity or autonomic rehabilitation strategies.
Track progress
Symptom frequency, intensity, triggers, recovery time, functional goals, and tolerance to daily life.
Part of a bigger plan
Some patients need more than headache relief
For some patients, headaches are one part of a wider picture that can include dizziness, visual strain, or trouble with busy places and screens. When clinically appropriate, after evaluation, a plan may include:
- Vestibular rehabilitation and cognitive rehabilitation
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), for selected patients after screening
Safety first
Realistic expectations, and when to seek urgent care
Responsible care means being honest: not every patient responds the same way, and results depend on diagnosis, timing, consistency and nervous-system status.
Reasonable goals to discuss
- How often headaches happen and how strong they are
- How long attacks last and how they affect work and sleep
- How well you tolerate light, screens and movement
- How confident you feel managing symptoms day to day
These are measured individually, never assumed. gammaCore is not used in people with an active implanted electronic device, such as a pacemaker or a hearing aid implant, and it has not been evaluated in people with narrowing of the carotid arteries or a metal implant, such as a stent, bone plate or bone screw, at or near the neck. These are screened for first, and the screening covers more than this list.
Seek emergency care, not the device, for
- A sudden, severe headache
- New weakness
- Trouble speaking
- Vision loss
- Fainting
If symptoms come on suddenly or severely - a sudden severe headache, weakness, trouble speaking, vision loss, or fainting - that is an emergency. Call 911 or go to an emergency room, not a clinic appointment. gammaCore is not a substitute for emergency care.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Is gammaCore FDA-cleared and safe?
gammaCore is FDA-cleared for certain headache types: preventive treatment of migraine in adolescents aged 12 and older and in adults, acute and preventive treatment of cluster headache in adults, and treatment of hemicrania continua and paroxysmal hemicrania. In trials it was generally well tolerated, with side effects that were generally mild and short-lived. It is not used in people with an active implanted electronic device, such as a pacemaker, so a safety screening comes first.
How is gammaCore used, during attacks or to prevent them?
For migraine, the cleared use is preventive treatment, in adolescents aged 12 and older and in adults. For cluster headache in adults, it is cleared both for acute treatment during an attack and for preventive treatment. Whether either role fits you is decided only after an evaluation.
Does gammaCore replace my headache medication?
No. gammaCore is never a reason to stop or change prescribed medication; that decision stays with your prescribing physician. In a study of chronic cluster headache, it was added to standard care rather than used in place of it. Dr. Chizari coordinates with your own physicians when appropriate.
Why do I need an evaluation before using the device?
Because the same headache label can have different drivers. Dr. Chizari first asks what type of headache or neurological pattern is present, whether there are vestibular findings or a concussion history, and whether medications, implants or vascular issues are relevant. gammaCore has not been evaluated in people with narrowing of the carotid arteries or a metal implant at or near the neck, which is why the screening in Calabasas comes first.
How is progress measured?
By tracking what matters in daily life: how often headaches happen and how strong they are, how you tolerate light, sound and screens, balance, energy, and confidence in daily routines. A short questionnaire such as the HIT-6 can help put a number on how much headaches affect your life. The goal is daily function, measured rather than assumed.
Decide safely
The right plan should make you feel
informed, not pressured.
If headaches, post-concussion symptoms, dizziness, brain fog or autonomic symptoms are affecting your life, you don't have to guess whether gammaCore is right for you. A useful first step is the HIT-6 headache impact test, a short questionnaire that measures how much headaches affect your daily life; it is a self-check, not a diagnosis. A complimentary consultation in Calabasas then clarifies your options, and a personalized evaluation builds a plan around your actual nervous-system findings. That is how Dr. Chizari begins with every patient.
California Brain & Spine Center · 4768 Park Granada, Ste 107, Calabasas, CA 91302 · Serving Calabasas, Woodland Hills and Los Angeles
This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider about your specific situation.