HeadWise

It's our migraine and headache news episode. Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, sits down with NHF board member and clinical trial researcher Tim Smith, MD, to walk through the latest research. They cover a French study linking some COVID vaccines with new or returning cluster headache. They look at long-term data showing weight loss in some people taking atogepant for migraine prevention. They discuss a new analysis of the Women's Health Initiative on hormone replacement therapy and migraine, a press release on a botulinum toxin for both episodic and chronic migraine, and the new migraine prevention guidelines from the American Headache Society and the American Academy of Neurology. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your symptoms and treatment.

Hemiplegic migraine is a rare type of migraine with aura that causes temporary weakness on one side of the body, and it can look like a stroke. On this episode of HeadWise™, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, and headache specialist Vince Martin, MD, discuss the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hemiplegic migraine. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your symptoms and treatment.

A medication denial does not have to be the end of the road. In this episode of HeadWise, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, talks with Deena Kuruvilla, MD, board-certified neurologist and headache specialist, about getting the migraine and headache care you deserve. Dr. Kuruvilla and Dr. Weitzel discuss how step therapy (often referred to as fail first) rules work, what things important to track so your medical records show medical necessity for treatments, and how to ask your insurer for its coverage criteria. They also go through appeals and peer-to-peer reviews, some of the manufacturer assistance programs, diagnosis coding, network gap exceptions for out-of-network specialists, and how the time of year can affect coverage. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your symptoms and treatment.

What's behind facial pain, and how is it different from headache? Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, and headache medicine specialist Fred Cohen, MD, cover common facial pain conditions, how providers reach a diagnosis, available treatment options, and the specialists who can help.

In this episode of HeadWise, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD talks with neurologist and headache medicine specialist Paul Mathew, MD about how neck pain, headache, and migraine are connected, and why that connection so often gets overlooked in clinical visits. Paul Mathew, MD walks through three conditions that can explain neck pain occurring alongside headache: migrainous cervicalgia, where neck discomfort appears only during a migraine attack; cervicogenic headache, where an underlying neck problem can act as a trigger; and occipital neuralgia, a nerve-related pain condition. He also shares why some treatments offer lasting relief while others only help temporarily, and how everyday habits like posture and self-stretching play a bigger role than people expect. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider regarding your individual symptoms and treatment options.

In this episode of HeadWise™, Dr. Alexandra Ross, a pediatric headache psychologist from Streamind Health, joins host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, to share real strategies for the school year ahead: building routines that stick, using 504 plans for accommodations, sneaking in "micro breaks" during class, and helping kids talk about migraine without the stigma. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider regarding your individual symptoms and treatment options.

Meet Hope O’Brien, MD, MBA, the new president of the National Headache Foundation’s Board of Directors. In this episode of HeadWise™, Dr. O’Brien shares what led her to headache medicine, the challenges facing headache care today and her vision for the future of NHF.

What happens when headache, migraine-like symptoms or other symptoms persist after a concussion? In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by neurologist Shae Datta, MD, to discuss concussion, post-traumatic headache and the recovery process. They explore what to do after a concussion, when symptoms may require further evaluation and why headache can continue even after other concussion symptoms improve. They also discuss the different ways post-traumatic headache can present, persistent symptoms such as dizziness, light sensitivity and nausea, the role of multidisciplinary concussion care, and treatment approaches that may help people experiencing ongoing symptoms. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider regarding your individual symptoms and treatment options.

Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms associated with migraine, but they can look very different from one person to another. Some people experience mild nausea, while others may have vomiting that makes it difficult to eat, drink or take medication. In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by headache medicine specialist Fred Cohen, MD, to discuss nausea and vomiting with migraine. They explore why these symptoms may occur, how delayed gastric emptying during a migraine attack can affect the way oral medications are absorbed, and why alternative treatment routes may be helpful for some people. They also discuss options for managing nausea, when severe or prolonged vomiting may require emergency care, and why symptoms beyond headache pain should be part of the conversation with your health care provider. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider regarding your individual symptoms and treatment options.

What role could psychedelics play in the future of headache medicine? In this episode of HeadWise, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by Emmanuelle Schindler, MD, PhD, to discuss the latest research on psilocybin and other psychedelics in migraine, cluster headache, and post-traumatic headache. They explore how these compounds are being studied, what early clinical trials have found, safety considerations, and why more research is still needed before these therapies become part of routine care. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider regarding your individual symptoms and treatment options.