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Nerve Stimulation

Surgery for Migraine: Is it Worth the Risk?

Stories on a plastic surgery technique used to treat migraine made the rounds this month. Most articles present the surgery as a miracle cure, though Philly.com’s article Surgery for Migraines: Help or Hokum? provides a well-balanced look at the procedure. It notes that neurologists “generally remain not just skeptical of surgery, but disapproving.” In fact, [...]

Surgery for Migraine and Headache: Does it Work?

Nerve stimulation, nasal surgery/septum repair, cutting muscles in the forehead and PFO closure are the surgeries commonly mentioned as headache treatments. A lot of press coverage doesn’t necessarily equal efficacy. They are all still in early phases of clinical trials. Recent opinions I’ve come across aren’t encouraging. Nerve stimulation Septum repair Cutting nerves in the [...]

Welcome to The Daily Headache’s New Design

If you’re reading this post, you’ve found The Daily Headache’s new design! The site looks different, but the biggest change is the addition of an online support group and forum. Make sure to create your account and introduce yourself.

Headache NewsBlog By Headache Specialist Alexander Mauskop

Alexander Mauskop, director of the New York Headache Center, regularly posts his thoughts on current headache news on the aptly named Headache NewsBlog. He dispels myths and examines closely media coverage of headache news. Here’s a taste of Mauskop’s blog, but look over Headache NewsBlog to get the full flavor. Current News Surgery for migraines [...]

Must-Read Time Article on Headache

A 2002 Time cover article on headache describes current migraine research — and the heretofore lack of said research — and what it means for people with headache. As the article says, “What [the research] all adds up is a revolutionary view of extreme headaches that treats them as serious, biologically based disorders on a [...]

Sort of on Vacation

I’m going on vacation tomorrow, but will still be posting each weekday. I’ll read and respond to e-mail and comments once a week, otherwise you won’t notice a difference. I’ll be back full time on October 8. See you then!

What Do You Want to Read on The Daily Headache?

Two years into blogging, I’ve learned that sharing isn’t complaining, writing about myself isn’t necessarily self-centered, and that many people read blogs for the personal connection they feel with the blogger. I’ve also found that I certainly have enough to say without whining and moaning. (I’ve also gotten e-mails asking me to write more about [...]

Newsweek on Chronic Pain Research & Treatment

Pain research and treatment are the topics of this week’s Newsweek cover story. The article centers on chronic pain caused by physical injuries in war, but it has gems for anyone with chronic pain. There’s a great illustration of how opioids and nerve blockers affect pain signals in the Pain and its Pathways graphic. “‘The [...]

Current Clinical Trials for Headache, Migraine & Cluster Headache

NIH’s clinical trials database is brimming with clinical trials for headache disorders. There are currently 110 headache, 65 migraine and five cluster headache studies either actively recruiting or will do so soon. Topics include: PFO closure — To see if closing a hole in the heart can reduce or eliminate migraines for migraineurs with aura [...]

This Time Last Year, April 9-14 & 2-8

April 9 to 14 Broadway Play Examines Issues of Illness An insightful and moving New York Times article describes the blurred lines between wellness and illness shown in the play Well. An excerpt: “‘. . . [W]henever the cause of an illness is mysterious, it’s assumed to come from psychological problems or a moral weakness? [...]