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Meet Dr. Jennifer Chima, MD: Neura Health’s Specialist in Migraine With Aura, Facial Pain, and Personalized Neurological Care

At Neura Health, we’re proud to offer access to expert headache and migraine care through a personalized, empathetic approach. We’re excited to introduce Dr. Jennifer Chima, MD—a fellowship-trained neurologist specializing in headache medicine with a deep personal connection to the patients she treats.

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Dr. Chima, MD, is not only an experienced physician but also someone who has lived with migraine with aura since her teenage years. Her dual perspective—both as a doctor and as a patient—allows her to deliver comprehensive, compassionate care that truly understands the complexities of neurological pain.

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A Journey Shaped by Personal Experience

Dr. Chima’s path to neurology was shaped by her own journey with migraine. She began experiencing visual and sensory aura in her teens—seeing spots in her vision (called scotomas) and experiencing numbness on one side of her body during attacks. Over the years, she tried numerous preventive and acute medications, facing many of the same frustrations her patients encounter.

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Eventually, she found a treatment combination that worked for her: a rescue medication paired with lifestyle modifications. This personal experience has fueled her passion for helping others navigate the often confusing and isolating world of chronic headache care.

Dr. Chima completed her neurology residency and a prestigious Headache Medicine fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. Today, she practices in North Carolina and sees patients virtually through Neura Health.

Specializing in Complex Headache and Facial Pain Conditions

Dr. Chima is particularly passionate about treating:

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• Migraine with aura
  
  
• Occipital neuralgia
  
  
• Cluster headache
  
  
• Facial pain, including trigeminal neuralgia

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While she has a soft spot for conditions she personally experiences—like occipital neuralgia and migraine with aura—she is deeply committed to helping all patients find relief, regardless of their diagnosis.

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A Personalized and Empowering Approach to Headache Care

Dr. Chima believes that every patient’s journey is unique and that medical care should reflect that. When seeing patients for the first time, she focuses on understanding how their condition affects their life and what their personal goals are. From there, she works collaboratively to develop a treatment plan that is both realistic and empowering.

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“I think patients really need an advocate who can give them information and support and empower them with the tools they need to manage their condition in the office with me and also outside of the office in their daily lives,” she says.

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Her philosophy centers on education, support, and shared decision-making, so patients feel confident and supported both during visits and between them.

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Passionate About Advocacy and Patient Resources

Dr. Chima encourages her patients to connect with advocacy groups like Migraine Strong and Miles for Migraine—two organizations that provide invaluable education, support, and community for those living with migraine and headache disorders.

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She understands how overwhelming the medical system can be and believes that support networks can fill the gaps between appointments, helping patients feel seen, informed, and less alone in their journey.

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“These groups empower patients outside of the office by giving them access to resources and a sense of community,” she explains. “They show people that they’re not alone—and that’s so important.”

Get Started with Dr. Chima at Neura Health

If you’re struggling with migraine, facial pain, or other headache disorders and want personalized care from someone who truly understands what you’re going through, Dr. Jennifer Chima is ready to help.

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Book a visit today and discover how Dr. Chima can help you find relief and take control of your neurological health.

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Video Transcript: 

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 I am Jen Chima. I'm one of the headache doctors for Neura Health.

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What first brought you to medicine?

From the clinical side, I completed my neurology residency and my headache fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. I moved to North Carolina a couple of years ago and I've been practicing here ever since. The reason I got into medicine is that I personally suffer from migraine, so I am very familiar with both the patient side and the medical side of that, and that's what got me into headache medicine specifically.

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What’s your special interest within your specific field?

I do have a soft spot for migraine with aura and occipital neuralgia because I have both of those things. I do love treating everything, though, including things like cluster headache and facial pain, too, like trigeminal neuralgia.

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I think that medical care really needs to be individualized for individual patients. When I am seeing a patient for the first time, I like to get an idea of how they're being impacted by their pain and what their personal goals are, and then work together to create a collaborative treatment plan that makes sense for them.

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What’s your approach to treating patients?

I think that patients really need an advocate who can give them information and support, and empower them with the tools they need to manage their condition in the office with me and then also outside of the office in their daily lives.

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Do you have a chronic condition, or does someone close to you have a chronic condition?

I have had migraine with aura ever since I was probably 16 or 17. I get a visual aura, which means I get spots in my vision, and I get a sensory aura.  I get numb on one side with my attacks.

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I have been on many preventives and many acute medications. I've tried a lot of different things and failed a lot of different things. Right now, fortunately, I've been able to manage just with one rescue medication and then lifestyle modifications.

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What advocacy groups do you feel passionately about?

I like Migraine Strong and Miles for Migraine. Those are two really good advocacy groups for migraine patients. I think patient advocacy is important because navigating the medical system as a patient can be really overwhelming, and it's difficult to have all of your questions answered in one doctor's visit or multiple doctor's visits even.

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They can help empower patients outside of the office by giving information and resources that can help patients manage their conditions, and can also give a sense of community and show that you're really not alone. A lot of people are suffering from the same condition.

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