Default
How Does Your Migraine Rank?
I never dreamed that I would be ranking my migraine disease….sports, yes…but migraine, not at all. I used to refer to my migraine days as ‘the good, the bad and the ugly.’ The good, low pain days were few and far between. As my ‘bad’ days increased to ‘ugly’ days, the ranking of my migraine followed. I moved from episodic migraine to chronic migraine to intractable chronic daily migraine. Each new ranking brought new anxiety, fear and desperation. Then I realized I am not alone. Of the approximately 40 million people in the US who have migraine, an estimated 4-6 million have chronic migraine.
Read MoreManaging Your Mindset and Mental Health
Living with migraine can be incredibly painful, frustrating, and lonely. It’s no wonder anxiety and depression so often come along for the ride. But there may be ways we can refocus our thinking and keep our hopes high. Keeping in mind that what works for some may not work for all, here are some ideas to add to your treatment toolbox:
Read MoreDo You Know What Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgia Is?
Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC) is a group of primary headache disorders. The one most commonly heard of is cluster headache. This group of headache disorders are strictly unilateral, which means they cause symptoms only on one side of the head. They usually involve symptoms such as a red watery eye, stuffy or runny nose, forehead sweating, swollen droopy eye, and/or unilateral pupil constriction – these are known as cranial parasympathetic autonomic features. While this group of headache disorders has these common traits and are known as TACs, there are also important differences which help determine the most appropriate diagnosis.
Read MoreBeyond Medication: Diet and Migraine Management
Maintaining a well-balanced diet is critical to overall health and well-being. For those of us with migraine, what we eat and when is especially important. As is the case with all migraine treatment options, figuring out what to eat and what to avoid can be an ongoing challenge. You may be able to eat something one day, while another day it seems to trigger an attack. While at times frustrating, making dietary changes can help you better manage life with migraine.
Read MoreExcited to Try a Virtual Headache Clinic
After a lot of teamwork with my local neurologist, I felt that my health was finally well-managed, but then a new problem presented itself and both my neurologist and I were both puzzled. I thought I knew what I had, but the doctor hadn’t heard of it and he certainly had no idea how to treat it. Then I heard about Neura Health, a virtual headache clinic led by Dr. Thomas Berk, a certified headache specialist at NYU Langone in New York. I hadn’t used telehealth much before, but despite that I was excited at the prospect, and I wanted to see how the Neura Health program worked
Read MoreParenting with Migraine
Teaching kids how to do things for themselves is helpful for when I have a migraine. But, it also empowers them. When my daughter was 3, instead of feeling defeated that I was struggling to make her a sandwich, I tried to celebrate that my 3 year old could make her own sandwich! It taught me to reframe my perspective, and that has been incredibly helpful ever since!
Read MoreBeyond Medication: Movement for Migraine
There are many proven health benefits of exercising, which is why adding movement to your daily routine can be a powerful way to manage life with migraine. Exercise releases endorphins, or “feel-good hormones,” which act as our body’s natural pain killers. They help relieve stress, boost mood, improve sleep, and make us feel better overall!
Read MoreBeyond Medication: Treatment Tips and Tools for Managing Migraine
When we think of migraine treatment, our minds often land on medications. But finding an effective combination of migraine medications is really just one piece to the very complex puzzle that is migraine management. People with migraine disease often find the most success with a holistic treatment plan—one that includes medications, migraine devices, and a mix of non-pharmaceutical and alternative treatment options.
Read MoreSeeing a Headache Specialist
At times, living with migraine can feel overwhelming, challenging and isolating. That’s why one of the most important things you can add to your migraine treatment toolbox is a qualified doctor who can help you navigate treatment options and develop a personalized treatment plan. A headache specialist can help you understand your specific type of migraine and work with you to improve your overall quality of life. If you’re living with migraine, you don’t have to go at it alone. Here are 7 signs it may be time to see a headache doctor or specialist:
Read MoreThe Migraine Treatment Toolbox: Medications
As we continue to look further into the Migraine Treatment Toolbox, today we focus on migraine medications. Finding the right medications can be a challenging and lengthy process that requires time and patience. Educating yourself on the options available and partnering with your doctor can help you find a successful treatment. Read more!
Read MoreThe Migraine Treatment Toolbox: Medical Devices
FIVE reasons to add an FDA-cleared medical device for migraine to your treatment toolbox! In a recent post, we walked through several questions to consider when building your migraine treatment toolbox. Today, we’ll take a deeper look at non-invasive medical devices for migraine. These can help block migraine pain or cluster attacks, and some even are FDA-cleared for preventive treatment to help stop attacks from starting. Currently, there are five FDA-cleared, devices for migraine available—CEFALY®, gammaCore Sapphire™, Nerivio®, Relivion®MG, and sTMS mini™.
Read MoreDo I Have Migraine or Cluster Headaches?
Migraine disease and trigeminal autonomic cephalgia (TAC – which includes cluster headache) are two different primary headache disorders. While it is possible to have both, one does not morph into the other, the severity of migraine does not change the diagnosis, and there is no such thing as “cluster migraine”! Accurate diagnosis is crucial but can be tricky, so it’s important to work with a certified headache specialist who can help you navigate this process and figure out what treatments might have a higher success rate for you. Knowing some of these key differences between migraine and cluster will help with that process:
Read More