Hi, I'm Dr. Amaal Starling,
a neurologist at Mayo Clinic.
And I'm here to answer some of
the important questions that
you might have about migraine.
Migraine is a disease of
abnormal function within the setting
of normal brain structure.
An MRI of the brain solely
tells you about the structure of the brain,
but tells you very little
about the function of the brain.
And that is why migraine
doesn't show up on an MRI.
Because it's abnormal function
in the setting of normal structure.
Migraine is highly
disabling for some individuals.
In fact, it is
the second leading cause
of disability worldwide.
Disabling symptoms are not just the pain,
but also the sensitivity to light and sound,
as well as the nausea and vomiting.
There is a wide range
of disease severity in migraine.
There are some people who
only need a rescue or
an acute treatment for migraine
because they have infrequent
migraine attacks.
But there are other people who are having
frequent migraine attacks, maybe
two or three times a week.
If they used rescue treatments
for every attack,
it could potentially lead to
other complications.
Those individuals need
a preventive treatment regimen
to reduce the frequency
and severity of attacks.
Those preventive treatments
might be daily medications.
They might be once a month injections,
other injectable medications delivered
once every three months.
This is why preventive treatment
is so crucial.
With preventive treatment, we can
reduce the frequency as well
as the severity of attacks so that you're not
having attacks more than two times per week.
However, for some individuals,
despite preventive treatment,
they may still have
migraine symptoms
more frequently throughout the week.
For them, there are non-medication
options for treating pain,
such as biofeedback,
relaxation techniques,
cognitive behavioral therapy,
as well as a number of
devices that are non-medication options for
treating migraine pain.
Yes, that is an option for
the preventive treatment of chronic migraine.
These onabotulinum toxin A
injections are administered
by your doctor once
every 12 weeks to reduce
the frequency and
severity of migraine attacks.
However, there are many
different preventive treatment options.
And it is important for you to speak with
your doctor about which option
is best for you.
The best way to partner with
your medical team is to, number one,
get a medical team.
Many people living with migraine have
not even talked to
a doctor about their symptoms.
If you have headaches where you have
to rest in a dark room,
where you might get sick to your stomach.
Please talk to your healthcare
professional about your symptoms.
You might have migraine
and we can treat migraine.
Migraine is a chronic disease.
And to best manage this disease,
patients need to understand the disease.
This is why I prescribe
advocacy to all of my patients.
Learn about migraine,
join patient advocacy organizations.
Share your journey with others,
and become empowered through
advocacy and efforts to
shatter the stigma of migraine.
And together, the patient and
the medical team can
manage the disease of migraine.
Never hesitate to ask
your medical team any questions
or concerns that you have.
Being informed makes all the difference.
Thanks for your time and we wish you well.