Women are more likely than men to experience migraine and to endorse worse symptoms. Migraine is associated with anxiety, depressive and posttraumatic stress disorders. Women who experience migraine are also more likely to report a history of discriminatory experiences. This study investigated migraine characteristics, mental health outcomes and gender-based discrimination among women using a case-control study with a migraine and non-migraine sample. Two hundred ninety-two women completed an online survey with measures of migraine characteristics (as applicable), mental health symptoms, and gender-based discrimination. Women living with migraine experienced worse mental health symptoms and more gender-based discrimination than the non-migraine group. Migraine frequency and lifetime day-to-day discrimination significantly predicted anxiety, depression, and trauma symptoms, while anticipated discrimination significantly predicted trauma symptoms; lifetime day-to-day discrimination significantly predicted migraine-related reduction in productivity; and gender-based discrimination significantly predicted migraine-related social absences. These findings may be used to improve management of migraine among women.

The objective of this pilot study was to assess physical therapists' (PTs) knowledge and needs regarding headache diagnosis and management.

While there is significant research on physical therapy and cervicogenic headache, studies suggest that migraine is often under-recognized, misdiagnosed, and inadequately treated across society despite its high prevalence and burden. Because migraine commonly includes concurrent neck pain and/or vestibular symptoms, patients with migraine may present to PTs for treatment. Very little is known about PTs' headache and migraine education, knowledge, and clinical practices.

A team of headache specialists and PTs adapted a previously used headache knowledge and needs assessment survey to help ascertain PTs' knowledge and needs regarding headache treatment. The cross-sectional survey was distributed online via Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) to PTs within a large healthcare system in Connecticut.

An estimated 50.5% (101/200) of PTs invited to complete the survey did so. Only 37.6% (38/101) of respondents reported receiving any formal headache or migraine education in their professional training, leading to knowledge gaps in differentiating and responding to headache subtypes. Only 45.5% (46/101) were able to identify that migraine is characterized by greater pain intensity than tension-type headache, and 22.8% (23/101) reported not knowing the duration of untreated migraine. When asked about the aspects of care they believe their patients with headache would like to see improved, PTs reported education around prevention and appropriate medication use (61/100 [61.0%]), provider awareness of the degree of disability associated with migraine (51/100 [51.0%]), and diagnostics (47/100 [47.0%]).

This sample of PTs from one healthcare system demonstrates knowledge gaps and variations in clinical practice for managing their patients with headache. Future research on integrating additional opportunities for headache education for physical therapists, including evidence-based behavioral therapies, is needed to ascertain whether it is likely to improve patient care.

Introduction Migraine is a complex neurological condition which requires evidence based treatment, tailored to the individual. International evidence shows that treatment is often sub-optimal, but the experience of people with migraine in NZ is unknown. Aim This study aimed to describe the barriers people with migraine disease face when seeking care for their condition in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Methods The Migraine in Aotearoa New Zealand Survey (MiANZ) was delivered online via SurveyMonkey from 22 August 2022 to 7 October 2022. Questions included: sociodemographics, the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS), ability to access health care, perception of health professionals' knowledge and open-ended questions. Analysis used a mixed method approach. Results Five hundred and thirty people from NZ responded, of whom 82% (433/530) were female and 77% (409/530) NZ European/other. Eighty-eight percent (467/530) had accessed primary care for migraine, with 36% (167/467) finding GPs' knowledge of migraine to be excellent or very good. Forty-two percent (222/530) reported at least one instance where they had felt judged because of migraine by a health professional. Themes from free-text data included patient perception of health professionals' knowledge of migraine, the presence of stigma within medical practice and systemic barriers to accessing effective health care. Discussion People with migraine in NZ report significant barriers when trying to access effective management. Barriers were in both primary and secondary care and impacted the ability of people with migraine to manage their condition. More current migraine continuing medical education for GPs and other health professionals, better development and communication of care plans between primary and secondary care and patients and measures to address stigma are required to improve management of this complex disease.

Migraine is a common neurological disorder that presents considerable challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. These changes are especially relevant in rapidly developing regions such as Asia, with an increasingly productive population and ongoing advancements in healthcare systems and infrastructure. Despite its substantial impact, migraine management remains inadequate, potentially due to deficiencies in medical education. We hypothesized that significant gaps in basic and advanced medical training and continuing professional education contribute to the suboptimal management of migraine in various healthcare settings across Asia. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google databases. The search focused on cross-sectional studies published in English from inception until September 2024 that examined educational needs among medical trainees and clinicians and clinical gaps in migraine management in Asia. These studies were then contextualized within a global perspective. The review identified significant shortcomings in migraine education at all levels of educational training in Asia, which also translated to poor management of migraines in clinical practice. Undergraduate medical curricula in Asia inadequately address headache disorders, while postgraduate training programs provide insufficient guidance in headache management, especially for complex cases. Primary care clinicians exhibited variable levels of understanding and frequently incorrectly diagnosed and managed migraine. Additionally, many Asian countries lack standardized clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and specialized training programs for headache management. A multidimensional approach is required to tackle the pre-existing educational and clinical practice limitations. The approach should include improving the medical school curriculum, providing focused continuing medical education programs or developing migraine modules for primary care physicians (PCPs), and developing region-specific CPGs. Besides educational initiatives, integrating and coordinating systems of care, where primary and specialist services complement each other, are crucial for improving patient care. Robust education combined with comprehensive referral and linkage protocols ensures continuity of care across healthcare levels. Moreover, collaboration, communication, and cooperation among healthcare providers (HCPs) and organizations are vital to enhancing the quality of life and productivity of migraine patients in the region. A synergistic approach that combines robust collaboration with innovative educational delivery can catalyze the widespread adoption of evidence-based medicine (EBM).

Migraine is a burdensome primary headache disorder with a global prevalence ranging from 15-18%. Our study aimed to assess the knowledge among primary healthcare physicians regarding migraine and evaluate whether their management practices align with current advances. This descriptive cross-sectional study included 212 primary healthcare physicians working in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a self-administered, validated questionnaire distributed at clinics, with participant consent, to ensure privacy. A total of 212 responses were collected, the majority were from men (53.8%) and participants less than 30 years old (43.9%). Most participants held a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) qualification (general practitioners), accounting for 56.1% of the sample. The results revealed that 83.5% had a high level of knowledge about the diagnostic criteria for migraine. Factors associated with a higher level of knowledge were female gender and age group less than 30 years. However, most participants (62.3%) were not familiar with the new acute and preventive migraine treatments. The findings of this study indicate good knowledge, attitude, and practicing habits among our participants. However, there were clear deficiencies in understanding the latest advancements in migraine treatment. We recommend implementing continuous education programs regarding the advances in migraine treatment among primary care physicians in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah.

Primary care clinicians play a critical role in diagnosis and treatment of migraine, yet barriers exist. This national survey assessed barriers to diagnosis and treatment of migraine, preferred approaches to receiving migraine education, and familiarity with recent therapeutic innovations.

The survey was created by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and Eli Lilly and Company and distributed to a national sample through the AAFP National Research Network and affiliated PBRNs from mid-April through the end of May 2021. Initial analyses were descriptive statistics, ANOVAs, and Chi-Square tests. Individual and multivariate models were completed for: adult patients seen in a week; respondent years since residency; and adult patients with migraine seen in a week.

Respondents who saw fewer patients were more likely to indicate unclear patient histories were a barrier to diagnosing. Respondents who saw more patients with migraine were more likely to indicate the priority of other comorbidities and insufficient time were barriers to diagnosing. Respondents who had been out of residency longer were more likely to change a treatment plan due to attack impact, quality of life, and medication cost. Respondents who had been out of residency shorter were more likely to prefer to learn from migraine/headache research scientists and use paper headache diaries.

Results demonstrate differences in familiarity with migraine diagnosis and treatment options based on patients seen and years since residency. To maximise appropriate diagnosis within primary care, targeted efforts to increase familiarity and decrease barriers to migraine care should be implemented.

Migraine, a neurological disorder with a significant female predilection, is the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in women of childbearing age (WCBA). There is currently a lack of comprehensive literature analysis on the overall global burden and changing trends of migraines in WCBA.

This study extracted three main indicators, including prevalence, incidence, and DALYs, related to migraine in WCBA from the Global Burden of Disease(GBD) database from 1990 to 2021. Our study presented point estimates with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). It evaluated the changing trends in the burden of migraine in WCBA using the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) and percentage change.

In 2021, the global prevalence, incidence, and DALYs cases of migraine among WCBA were 493.94 million, 33.33 million, and 18.25 million, respectively, with percentage changes of 48%, 43%, and 47% compared to 1990. Over the past 32 years, global prevalence rates and DALYs rates globally have increased, with an EAPC of 0.03 (95% UI: 0.02 to 0.05) and 0.04 (95% UI: 0.03 to 0.05), while incidence rates have decreased with an EAPC of -0.07 (95% UI: -0.08 to -0.05). Among the 5 Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) regions, in 2021, the middle SDI region recorded the highest cases of prevalence, incidence, and DALYs of migraine among WCBA, estimated at 157.1 million, 10.56 million, and 5.81 million, respectively, approximately one-third of the global total. In terms of age, in 2021, the global incidence cases for the age group 15-19 years were 5942.5 thousand, with an incidence rate per 100,000 population of 1957.02, the highest among all age groups. The total number of migraine cases and incidence rate among WCBA show an increasing trend with age, particularly in the 45-49 age group.

Overall, the burden of migraine among WCBA has significantly increased globally over the past 32 years, particularly within the middle SDI and the 45-49 age group. Research findings emphasize the importance of customized interventions aimed at addressing the issue of migraines in WCBA, thus contributing to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 3 set by the World Health Organization.

Migraine is a painful neurological disorder that disproportionately affects women and has a significant impact on quality of life. This article summarizes the critical role of women's health nurses in supporting young adult women with migraine during major life transitions. Nurses can advocate for workplace or school disability accommodations for women with migraine. Nurses can also support young adult women with migraine by providing education about available treatment that becomes available after an individual's 18th birthday. Women's health nurses can also provide counseling on healthy lifestyle habits to sustain through life transitions, such as guidance on safe alcohol consumption and wellness approaches to migraine management. Through these interventions, women's health nurses can help women with migraine to succeed personally, professionally, and academically while effectively managing migraine symptoms.

Migraines are one of the leading causes of disability globally and in South Africa. There is a paucity of local empirical literature regarding the psychosocial impact of migraines on women. Although there are a variety of treatment approaches, many women prefer alternative and holistic treatment for their migraines.

The aim of this study was to explore the psychosocial impact of migraines on women and their use of complementary and alternative therapies for migraine pain management.

The study was conducted in the eThekwini region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The study adopted a qualitative descriptive design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants for the study. Data were collected through 12 semi-structured interviews and subsequently analysed using thematic analysis.

Theme 1 related to the psychological and cognitive effects experienced by the participants. Theme 2 focused on the effects migraines had on personal, family and social relationships. Theme 3 discussed the self-management of migraines.

The pertinent psychological effects of migraines were depression, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness and withdrawal, fear-avoidance behaviour, lifestyle changes, and acceptance of migraines. The participants experienced a lack of understanding about their migraine severity from co-workers, family and social networks. The alternative therapies that were sought to alleviate migraine symptoms included chiropractic, massage, meditation, reflexology, yoga, cupping and acupuncture.

The awareness of the effectiveness of complementary and alternative therapies for women may be beneficial for healthcare providers seeking a multidisciplinary approach to migraine management.

Hormonal contraception (HC) can influence the migraine burden and should be considered in the comprehensive management of women with migraine. In this study, we aim to investigate the influence of migraine and migraine aura on the prescribing behavior of combined oral contraception (COC) and progestogen monotherapy (PM) in gynecological outpatient care. From October 2021 to March 2022, we performed an observational, cross-sectional study using a self-administered online-based survey. The questionnaire was distributed by mail and e-mail among 11,834 practicing gynecologists in Germany using the publicly available contact information. A total of 851 gynecologists responded to the questionnaire, of whom 12% never prescribe COC in the presence of migraine. Further 75% prescribe COC depending on the presence of limiting factors such as cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities. When deciding to start PM, migraine appears to be less relevant, as 82% prescribe PM without restrictions. In the presence of aura, 90% of gynecologists do not prescribe COC at all, while PM is prescribed in 53% without restrictions. Almost all gynecologists reported to be actively involved in migraine therapy by having already initiated (80%), discontinued (96%), or changed (99%) HC due to migraine. Our results reveal that participating gynecologists actively consider migraine and migraine aura before and while prescribing HC. Gynecologists appear cautious in prescribing HC in patients with migraine aura.

The objective of this study was to assess women's healthcare providers' treatment practices for pregnant women with migraine.

Migraine is associated with several maternal and fetal complications during pregnancy, including preeclampsia and preterm birth. Migraine treatment during pregnancy can present significant challenges due to lack of controlled clinical trials and risks associated with specific medications.

Women's healthcare providers were queried regarding practice patterns and comfort with use of acute and preventive migraine treatments during pregnancy. The survey was distributed online.

The survey was completed by 92 women's healthcare providers (response rate 22.9% [92/402]), with most specializing in general obstetrics and gynecology (91% [83/92]). Approximately one-fourth (26% [24/92]) of respondents indicated they counseled women on migraine treatment in pregnancy as early as before pregnancy contemplation, while over one-third (35% [32/92]) counseled on migraine treatment once the patient became pregnant. The majority of respondents reported feeling somewhat or very comfortable with recommending (63% [58/92]) or continuing (64% [59/92]) acute treatments for pregnant patients with migraine, with highest comfort levels for acetaminophen (100% [92/92] for prescribing or continuing) and caffeine (94% [85/90] prescribing, 91% [82/90] continuing). Higher levels of discomfort were reported with triptans (88% [80/91] rarely or never prescribe during pregnancy). Survey respondents felt less comfortable with recommending preventive migraine treatments to pregnant patients (40% [37/92] somewhat or very comfortable), compared with a higher comfort level with continuing preventive medications (63% [58/92] somewhat or very comfortable). Highest comfort levels were reported with use of magnesium (69% [63/91] comfortable prescribing, 82% [75/92] comfortable continuing) and non-pharmacologic approaches (70% [62/89] comfortable prescribing, 84% [75/89] comfortable continuing). Nearly 40% (35/92) of respondents reported that they typically refer to neurologists or headache specialists for migraine treatment during pregnancy.

This survey of women's healthcare providers revealed varying levels of comfort regarding migraine management during pregnancy, and highlights the need for additional education regarding migraine treatment safety data during pregnancy.

We aimed to identify migraine treatment features preferred by patients and treatment outcomes most valued by patients.

The values and preferences of people living with migraine are critical for both the choice of acute therapy and management approach of migraine.

We conducted a qualitative evidence synthesis. Two reviewers independently selected studies, appraised methodological quality, and undertook a framework synthesis. We developed summary of findings tables following the approach of Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research to assess confidence in the findings.

Of 1691 candidate references, we included 19 studies (21 publications) involving 459 patients. The studies mostly recruited White women from North America (11 studies) and Europe (8 studies). We identified eight themes encompassing features preferred by patients in a migraine treatment process. Themes described a treatment process that included shared decision-making, a tailored approach, trust in health-care professionals, sharing of knowledge and diversity of treatment options, a holistic approach that does not just address the headache, ease of communication especially for complex treatments, a non-undermining approach, and reciprocity with mutual respect between patient and provider. In terms of the treatment itself, seven themes emerged including patients' preferences for nonpharmacologic treatment, high effectiveness, rapidity of action, long-lasting effect, lower cost and more accessibility, self-management/self-delivery option that increases autonomy, and a mixed preference for abortive versus prophylactic treatments. The treatment outcomes that have high value to patients included maintaining or improving function; avoiding side effects, potential for addiction to medications, and pain reoccurrence; and avoiding non-headache symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sounds.

Patient values and preferences were individually constructed, varied widely, and could be at odds with conventional medical perspectives and evidence of treatment effects. Considering the availability of numerous treatments for acute migraine, it is necessary that decision-making incorporates patient values and preferences identified in qualitative research. The findings of this qualitative synthesis can be used to facilitate an individually tailored approach, strengthen the patient-health-care system relationship, and guide choices and decisions in the context of a clinical encounter or a clinical practice guideline.

Despite its high prevalence, migraine remains underdiagnosed worldwide. A significant reason is the knowledge gap in physicians regarding diagnostic criteria, clinical features, and other clinical aspects of migraine.

To measure the knowledge deficit in physicians and medical students and to assess the prevalence of migraine in the same population.

An online questionnaire was developed and distributed among physicians and final year medical students on duty in various medical and surgical specialties of Allied and DHQ Hospitals, Faisalabad, between October 2018 and October 2019. Inclusion criteria were public practicing physicians who experience headaches, while those who never experienced headaches were excluded. Different questions assessed respondents on their knowledge of triggers, diagnosis, management, and prophylaxis of the migraine headache. They were asked to diagnose themselves using embedded ICHD-3 diagnostic criteria for different types of migraine. Graphs, tables, and figures were made using Microsoft Office 2016 and Microsoft Visio, and data analysis was done in R Studio 1.4.

We had 213 respondents and 175 fulfilled inclusion criteria, with 99 (52%), 58 (30%) and 12 (6.3%) belonging to specialties of medicine, surgery, and others, respectively. Both genders were symmetrically represented (88 male and 87 female). Fifty-two (24.4%) of our 213 respondents were diagnosed with migraine, with 26 (50%) being aware of it. Females had higher prevalence among study participants (n = 28, 32.2%) compared to males (n = 20, 22.7%, P = 0.19). A majority (62%) of subjects never consulted any doctor for their headache. Similarly, a majority (62%) either never heard or did not remember the diagnostic criteria of migraine. Around 38% falsely believed that having any type of aura is essential for diagnosing migraine. The consultation rate was 37% (n = 65), and migraineurs were significantly more likely to have consulted a doctor, and a neurologist in particular (P < 0.001). Consulters and migraineurs fared better in the knowledge of diagnostic aspects of the disease than their counterparts. There was no significant difference in other knowledge aspects between consulters versus non-consulters and migraineurs versus non-migraineurs.

Critical knowledge gaps exist between physicians and medical students, potentially contributing to misdiagnosis and mismanagement of migraine.

Multiple states allow pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraception but can have age restrictions. The study objective was to examine how age influences adolescents' and young adults' (AYAs) ability to self-report potential contraindications to hormonal contraception compared with physician reports (our "gold standard").

Between February 2017 and August 2018, girls aged 14-21 years and their physicians were recruited in outpatient adolescent primary and subspecialty care clinics. Screeners were completed separately for medical conditions that are potential contraindications to hormonal contraception as defined by the Centers for Disease Control Medical Eligibility Criteria. Overall, discordance was defined as differences between the patient's and provider's answers, and potential unsafe discordance was defined as AYAs underreporting of contraindications. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine predictors of overall and unsafe discordance.

Of 394 AYA/physician pairs, 45% were from subspecialty clinics, 35% identified as African American, the mean age was 16.7 ± 1.9 years, and 38% were sexually active. Fifty percent of patients reported potential contraindications to hormonal contraception. There was only an 18% rate of unsafe discordance, with no statistical difference by age but a higher rate in subspecialty clinics (28% vs. 10%). No variables were predictive of higher rates of unsafe discordance in general or subspecialty clinics.

Potential overall and unsafe discordance between AYAs' and physicians' reports of medical contraindications to combined hormonal contraception were not related to younger age and thus support expansion of pharmacy access to adolescents. Pediatric subspecialists need to proactively address hormonal contraceptive needs and safety as pharmacy access expands.