Chronic Migraine

It is especially common in women over the age of 40 years old, who may have had migraine for over 15-20 years.

Q. What-is-Chronic-Migraine?.

A. It is a constant daily headache, usually different from normal migraine. However, every few days a more recognisable severe migraine occurs on top of the daily head pain.

For about 2% of the adult population, Migraine becomes a Chronic Source of Misery.



The Chronic Migraine Treatment Plan can produce lasting improvement in 50-80% of people.

1. Rule Out Secondary Headaches as an alternative cause for your headache.

   A visit to your own doctor is usually all that is required, but some do require investigation.

2. Causes of Severe Migraine Headaches include social, physical or psychological stress. Look at your life, and see if anything stressful has been happening, as these will need to be resolved somhow.
3. Confirm the Diagnosis in 2 steps
• Symptoms of Migraine Headaches can be identified using simple questions
• Interpreting a Migraine Headache Diary can confirm a chronic pattern of migraine.
4. Medication Overuse Headache must be sorted out.
• Medication Withdrawal Headache is inevitable when you start to sort out medication overuse
5. Specific Medication for Migraine should be used
6. The Headache Friendly Lifestyle must be implemented - a lifelong commitment to better health.
• Avoid Dehydration Headache and rink plenty of water.
• A Migraine Prevention Diet.
• In reality this means enjoying your food, and avoiding hunger or irregular meal times. A fastidious unenjoyable diet has virtually no scientific merit. The pleasure and social interaction from healthy eating far outweighs the tyranny of an obsession with dietary triggers!
• Avoid Obesity - increased weight increases the risk of chronic headache

• Start to Exercise
• But Avoid Exercise Induced Migraine
• Do enough as some Exercise Can Help Relieve Stress.
• Know how Biofeedback and Migraines can help you avoid powerful medications.
7. Be patient - it can take 6 months for this to start to work
8. Know the limitations
• This will not work for absolutely everyone. However, there is a 50-80% of a good outcome for people who can:
  1. Deal with medication overuse headache
  2. Use medication for migraine effectively
  3. Implement a Headache Friendly Lifestyle

  Unfortunately some people are still left with severe headaches and will only get control with a specialised multi-disciplinary migraine program