Headache Specialists
Finding Answers: Taking Control of Chronic Migraine Â
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…
Read MoreTwo Tips for Migraine in 2024
Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Many of us will resolve to achieve all kinds of goals in 2024, including managing migraine attacks more effectively. However, it’s important to remember that your overall health improvement goals can often be better achieved by taking small, actionable steps. Here are two tips for migraine in 2024…
Read MoreMigraine Myth: Migraine is Just a Headache
One of the hardest things that people with migraine live with is stigma, and much of that stigma comes from the myth that migraine is “just a headache.” What many people still don’t realize is that migraine is so much more than just a headache. While head pain is often the most notable migraine symptom,…
Read MoreMigraine Myths: New Medications Have More Side Effects Than Older Ones
One of the most helpful things that has emerged in the past few years as migraine advocacy communities have emerged and grown, is the sharing of information about medications. While generally a positive thing, there are also negative aspects. This is seen most clearly in the discussion of migraine medication side effects (or “adverse events”),…
Read MoreMy Experience with Ketamine Infusion at Jefferson Headache Center
Ketamine is a medication that is sometimes used off-label for migraine treatment, and headache specialists on the cutting edge of migraine treatment sometimes prescribe it as a nasal spray or by in-patient infusion. Many patients aren’t aware that this is an option, and there is little known about what it is like to get an in-patient infusion,…
Read MoreCreating a Migraine Preventive Action Plan
Bearing in mind that migraine is a disease that can chronify, it’s not only important to know the signs for when preventive treatment is appropriate, but also have a road map to follow once you’re in that place. A Preventive Action Plan (PAP) is a road map for treatment communication and care planning. Having a PAP gives you a sense of direction and independence as well as the greatest potential for relief. It raises awareness of different approaches to preventive migraine treatment, and it also makes you a partner with your doctor in your disease management and healthcare. Your involvement in a PAP is essential, because you know your body best, you know how migraine is impacting your life, and the PAP needs to be integrated by YOU into your care and daily life.
Read MoreThe Importance of Finding a Headache Specialist
Those with migraine face many challenges accessing quality care and treatment. Insurance barriers, lack of knowledgeable practitioners, stigma, and nervousness and anxiety due to previous negative experiences can make it very difficult to obtain appropriate healthcare. That’s why one of the most important things you can do is find a certified headache specialist or doctor who understands this complex disorder and is willing to partner with you on a treatment plan.
Read MoreMedical Gaslighting and Migraine: It’s Not All in Your Head
Medical gaslighting happens when healthcare providers dismiss, explain away, or don’t believe a patient’s symptoms. While this can happen to anyone, it’s especially common for women, and those struggling with invisible illnesses like migraine. It’s a dangerous practice that often results in misdiagnosis and/or the inability to receive appropriate and timely treatment and care.
Read MoreWhite Coat Syndrome and Migraine
Many people with migraine experience what is called white coat syndrome, also known as white coat hypertension, which happens when someone develops higher blood pressure in the presence of a physician or other healthcare professional than is normal for them. White coat syndrome can happen to anyone, but for those with migraine, a trip to the doctor’s office can be especially anxiety-producing. As a result, in addition to higher blood pressure patients can experience increased anxiety, palpitations, fear, tightness in the chest, and more. What is most sad is that for some people the experience is so severe that it impacts their willingness to see a doctor, and access the care they need for disease management.
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 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 Headache Doctor Crisis is All Too Real
There is fewer than one headache specialist for every 85,000 headache and migraine patients in the United States. This figure is similar to other countries around the world, and sometimes even worse. For the vast majority of us, this critical shortage of headache specialists requires us to work with someone who doesn’t specialize in headache…
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