This year's theme for the National Headache Foundation's (NHF) National Headache Awareness Week (June 1-7) was “Take control of your headaches. Take control of your life,” and the (NHF) hopes Migraine patients will do just that by using a new tool called the Migraine Attack Profile (MAP). By tracking the duration of the individual Migraine attacks with the MAP, doctors learn which aspects of Migraine affect a patient most, how long each phase of an attack lasts, and what tends to make them get better or worse. Eventually, a pattern appears and doctors can use this information to help select the most appropriate medication for the patient’s pattern of attacks, as well as identify the best time to start treatment of individual attacks.
“Over time, most people with Migraine have many different types of attacks,” says Timothy R. Smith, MD, RPh, a leading headache specialist from Ryan Headache Center in St. Louis and one of the researchers involved in the development of MAP. “The real challenge is to choose a medication that’s best suited to each particular patient. Tracking the progress of each attack with tools like the Migraine Attack Profile simplifies the treatment decision.”
Dr. Smith was part of an advisory board established to find ways for primary care physicians to reduce the amount of time it takes to get a clear picture of a patient's Migraine condition. In practice, Dr. Smith found that by looking at a graphic depiction of Migraine intensity and duration (what he referred to as the “Migraine curve”) patients could better understand the progress of their Migraines and therefore be more effective in communicating with their physician.
According to Suzanne Simons, executive director of the NHF, tools such as MAP play a crucial role in Migraine management. “Any time patients work with providers as active participants in healthcare decisions that affect them, they improve their chances of finding a successful treatment outcome.”
Typically, Migraine sufferers experience an average of two attacks per month, which can last anywhere from four to 72 hours. Migraine attacks tend to occur in three phases: pre-headache, the headache itself, and post-headache. The pre-headache phase can last for several hours. The post-headache phase can last up to two days and can feature nausea, exhaustion, and other mood changes. Nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound often accompany Migraine pain.“Each medication has advantages and disadvantages that need to be evaluated based on the individual patient,” says Dr. Smith. “For example, if the patient’s attacks tend to last all day, a drug with longer-lasting effects may be a more suitable option than one that begins to work faster and stops working sooner.”
The NHF offers the following tips to help improve the doctor/patient partnership:
- Seek expert help. Find out if your doctor has experience in treating Migraine, or consider seeing a Migraine specialist or a neurologist.
- Learn all you can about Migraines. This will help you better communicate with your healthcare provider.
- Be open and honest. Make sure you communicate to your healthcare provider about your Migraines and how they influence your life.
- Ask questions. Don’t leave the office until you understand all of your treatment options and you and your doctor can agree on realistic treatment expectations.
- Follow-up regularly. Track your treatment progress with a Migraine calendar, and be prepared to discuss it during your next visit.
For more information about headaches and to obtain a free copy of the Migraine Attack Profile, contact the NHF at 1-888-NHF-5552 or visit www.headaches.org.
