There’s a chronic health condition that affects millions of Americans, yet often goes unseen. For people living with chronic migraine, life can mean 15 or more headache days every month—missed work, cancelled plans, parenting from bed, hours spent in dark rooms just trying to get through the pain.
But right here in San Diego, UCSD is part of a national clinical trial testing a brand-new approach: a tiny implant placed under the scalp that gently stimulates nerves linked to migraine pain. It’s discreet, drug-free, and designed to work around the clock to prevent attacks before they start. Early results are showing real promise—some patients are cutting their monthly migraine days in half.
Dr. Nathaniel Schuster, Pain Management Specialist and Headache Neurologist at University of California San Diego, and one of the neurologists leading this research, discusses how this therapy works, who might qualify, and how local patients can enroll.