Welcome to Migraine Free Living
By MigraineFreeLiving Staff
MigraineFreeLiving is a digital resource center designed by clinicians as a community for people with headaches. These are the facts:
Headaches affect 1 in 7 adult patients
Approximately half of patients with daily headaches are treated by a neurologist
Most patients have headaches 10x more frequently than they have doctor’s appointments
Only 16 medications have been approved for the treatment or prevention of migraine by the Food and Drug Administration based on over 40 clinical trials
But people are not statistics. What has been proven effective on a population level using large, well designed randomized clinical trials may not work for you as an individual. Here are some more facts:
While many of these FDA-approved medications are effective (and we prescribe them regularly!), they are not without side effects.
Kidney stones
Fatigue
Allergic reactions/Hypersensitivity
Fetal malformations for women of childbearing potential
Dystonia (a unique reaction characterized by muscle spasms and twisting)
HUNDREDS of non-FDA approved (but useful) treatment options are out there!
Personal habits and techniques can reduce headache frequency and severity, including:
Headache journaling
Trigger avoidance
Dietary modifications and sleep hygiene
Optimizing hydration
Physical activity
Certain vitamins and nutritional supplements
The American Headache Society considers lifestyle modifications as a critical component for the prevention and treatment of migraine. But what lifestyle modifications? What is “optimal hydration”? How is a headache diary going to help me?
Migraine Free Living is not intended to provide medical advice. Our mission is to LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD in headache treatment. Although doctor visits can be short (and are important for your health!), an enormous wealth of information and resources are at your disposal. But how to compile it, fact-check it, synthesize it, and determine whether something is right for YOU should not be left to ChatGPT. Let us do that! Subscribe to our blog using the link below to receive the latest news, updates, and resources regarding headache, migraine, and many other chronic neurologic conditions. There’s more to pain management than prescriptions. Together, we can live well, and live free.