Fostering Empathy in a Migraine-Filled Relationship

How Can We Foster Empathy in a Migraine-Filled Relationship? Do either you or your partner suffer from migraine attacks, or perhaps even both of you? It’s not uncommon, given that over 42 million live with migraine in the US alone. Like any physical or mental disability, migraine can bring a new layer to your relationship.…

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Insurance Delays and Denials Impact Patient Access to Migraine Treatment

How Insurance Barriers Impact Migraine Treatment Access Migraine is a complex neurological disease that affects more than 42 million people in the United States alone. Approximately 5 million people in the US have chronic migraine, meaning they have 15 migraine/headache days a month or more. Migraine disease is so much more than “just a headache.”…

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Beyond Medication: Sleep and the Migraine Brain

If ever there was a tale of a complicated relationship, it is the story of sleep and the migraine brain. Get too much sleep, and you will likely trigger an attack. Get too little, and you are also likely to trigger an attack. Feel tired and take a nap, and yet again that can trigger an attack. Fatigue is a highly common and debilitating symptom among those with migraine, and yet many report migraine wakes them up and is the cause of not getting enough sleep. To complicate matters even more, for many, sleep is often the only thing that relieves the pain of a bad attack, and getting quality sleep at night has been shown to reduce head pain. So how do we navigate this ever so complicated relationship?

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Growing Up With a Disabled Parent: Empathy or Resentment?

It would be an understatement to say that it’s difficult growing up with a parent who struggles with a disability. It changes the way you view your parents, friends, and even your own health at times. In this two-part series, I’ll examine how this impacts different parts of a child’s life. In this first part,…

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Finding Answers: Taking Control of Chronic Migraine  

Managing migraine day-to-day requires constant effort, no matter how long you’ve lived with migraine disease. People with chronic migraine – defined as a minimum of 15  migraine/headache days per month – may find this especially challenging. Not everyone has access to a certified migraine specialist. Very few people with chronic migraine receive a proper diagnosis and…

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Managing Migraine at Work: Strategies for Success

Woman sitting at desk in office with migraine

According to the American Headache Society, nearly 113 million workdays are lost each year due to migraine. The work environment can be full of migraine triggers that we cannot control. So what is the best way to manage migraine at work? Identify Migraine Triggers at Work The first step in preventing and/or reducing migraine at…

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Do You Have an Individual Exercise Plan?

“I was a marathon runner until my migraine became intractable and chronic daily. I lived to run. It was my physical and psychological outlet. Then…boom…it came to a screeching halt. I began walking, which soon became my lifeline. That is until 2 years ago when I developed vestibular migraine and had 3 serious falls while…

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Migraine as a Coworker

Man at work holding his head while papers swirl around him

Having migraine as a coworker can be challenging. None of us are strangers to calling out of work for one reason or another. Whether this was a more frequent occurrence at some of our first low-level jobs, or out of necessity at our current job, it’s something we’ve all experienced at some point. For those…

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Create an Attitude of Gratitude With Migraine

Pumpkins in a basket with candles

With Thanksgiving and the holidays just around the corner, the season of gratitude is underway. For those of us living with chronic illness like migraine, feeling grateful and thankful can sometimes feel like quite a challenge. This is especially true during the busy holiday season. But, keeping gratitude at the top of our minds can…

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Are You a Caregiver For Someone With Migraine?

Woman with her arms on a mans shoulders

November is National Family Caregivers Month Are you a caregiver for someone with migraine? Every November, we take the time to acknowledge those who provide care for their family members living with chronic conditions. We recognize and honor all caregivers during National Family Caregivers Month (NFC Month). It’s also the perfect opportunity to raise awareness…

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5 Reasons Why Migraine Meds May Not Work

Mix of medications

This blog is part of our myths and misinformation series, where we separate migraine fact from fiction. This time we are looking at a myth that sadly can inhibit people from getting to the right doctor or getting the treatment they desperately need. Today we are asking, “Is it a migraine if migraine medications don’t…

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The Real Voice of Migraine

Real Voice of Migraine artwork

There is no shortage of online migraine information (or misinformation) lately. It seems whenever I check my social media feeds or Google, so-called experts have something to say. For instance, sharing the latest treatment hack, like soaking your feet in hot water to stop an attack! By the way… in case you’re wondering, that doesn’t…

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