National Headache Foundation

National Headache Foundation Our story: We support headache & migraine awareness, deliver education, fund research, and inspire advocacy. Non-profit Headaches.org

For over 50 years, our mission at the National Headache Foundation has been to further awareness of migraine and headache disorders as legitimate neurobiological diseases. Much has changed during this time, and with the aid of advanced technology and clinical innovation, there are more treatment options than ever before. However, we understand that these diseases are still largely misunderstood and that finding the right treatment options for you requires nuanced and adaptable insight.

Last year, The New York Times published an op-ed by Tom Zeller Jr. titled: “Your Headache Is Serious. Science Should Tak...
02/21/2026

Last year, The New York Times published an op-ed by Tom Zeller Jr. titled: “Your Headache Is Serious. Science Should Take It Seriously.”

In the piece, Zeller, who lives with cluster headache, highlights the stigma, research gaps, and funding disparities surrounding migraine and other headache disorders.

Migraine affects 1 in 7 people worldwide, yet research investment remains disproportionately low.

A thoughtful read on why headache disorders deserve serious scientific attention.

To read the full piece a subscription may be required: https://nyti.ms/4s0DVll

02/20/2026

In this clip from NHF InSights™: Primary Care/APP Edition, host Dr. Jaclyn Duvall and Dr. Stewart Tepper discuss the updated guidance from the American Headache Society supporting migraine-specific treatments, including CGRP monoclonal antibodies and gepants, as first-line preventive therapy for appropriate patients.

With major pharmacy benefit managers removing step therapy requirements, primary care providers now have greater flexibility to prescribe migraine-specific medications earlier in care.

Watch or listen to the full episode "Why Migraine Prevention Matters in Primary Care" on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

02/19/2026

In this episode of NHF InSights™: Primary Care/APP edition, host Jaclyn Duvall, MD, is joined by Stewart Tepper, MD, to discuss the critical role primary care and advanced practice providers play in improving outcomes for people living with migraine.

They explore practical strategies for busy practices, including quick screening approaches, when to start preventive therapy, and how newer migraine-specific treatments are reshaping care. The conversation also reviews updated clinical guidance supporting earlier use of CGRP-targeted therapies and gepants, along with key takeaways from the TEMPLE Phase 3 trial comparing atogepant and topiramate.

This episode highlights how earlier diagnosis, modern treatments, and confident prescribing in primary care can meaningfully improve patient outcomes and quality of life. This episode is supported by AbbVie.

02/19/2026

Primary care clinicians see most people living with migraine and time is limited in every visit.

In this clip, Jaclyn Duvall, MD asks how providers can quickly identify migraine, and Stewart Tepper, MD shares a simple three-question screening approach using ID Migraine. Small tools like this can help clinicians diagnose earlier and start treatment sooner.

Watch the full episode of NHF Insights™: Primary Care/APP edition releasing 02/19

02/13/2026

In this HeadWise clip, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, and Sam Kelokates, PT, DPT, share the first step to exercising with headache disorders: set a goal and begin with a realistic starting point.

Watch the full episode for more strategies on building a safe, sustainable exercise routine. You can find previous episodes of HeadWise on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode!

02/11/2026

In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by Sam Kelokates, PT, DPT, founder of Kelos Physical Therapy, to discuss how people living with migraine and other headache disorders can approach exercise safely and effectively.

They explore how physical activity can both trigger and help prevent migraine, what the research currently shows, and how to build an exercise routine that supports long-term headache management. The conversation focuses on practical strategies—like setting realistic goals, pacing intensity, planning around triggers, and adapting workouts during different phases of migraine.

Topics covered include:
- How exercise affects migraine frequency, disability, and quality of life
- When it’s safest to exercise in relation to migraine attacks
- Why the nervous system—not just muscles—matters in exercise tolerance
- The “rule of too’s”: too much, too soon, too often, too hard
- How to use pain thresholds to guide activity
- Adapting workouts on bad days and planning for consistency
- Environmental and sensory triggers to consider during exercise
- Treating exercise as part of a long-term migraine management plan

This episode offers practical guidance for people living with migraine, headache disorders, and clinicians supporting them who want to incorporate movement in a safe, sustainable way.

02/09/2026

Exercise can support migraine management, but timing matters. Between attacks is often safest, while active migraine usually calls for rest. Some people find gentle movement during early symptoms helpful, but it’s personal and requires trial and error.

The full HeadWise episode releases 02/11. You can find previous episodes of HeadWise on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure to follow so you never miss and episode.

01/28/2026

In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by Dr. Dawn Buse, a psychologist specializing in headache and migraine, and Katy Oakley, who shares her personal journey living with chronic and post-traumatic headache.

Together, they explore the role of behavioral therapies in migraine care and how these approaches can support prevention, quality of life, and safer treatment options for people living with migraine—both on their own and alongside standard medical care.

On this episode, they discuss:
• Why referrals to headache or pain psychology can feel challenging for patients
• What research shows about who benefits most from behavioral migraine therapies
• How biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and relaxation approaches work
• The role of behavioral care for youth, adults, and people with medical risk factors
• How these therapies can complement medications and neuromodulation treatments
• Using coping and self-regulation skills in daily life and social settings
• Adapting behavioral approaches for different types of chronic pain and headache conditions

01/26/2026

Who benefits most from behavioral therapies for migraine? In this HeadWise clip, Dawn Buse, PhD, and Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, discuss what research shows about how youth, adults, and people with medical risk factors may respond to non-medication-based migraine care.

Learn how approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback, and mindfulness can work alongside standard treatments to support prevention, quality of life, and safer care options for people living with migraine. Full episode releases this Wednesday 01/28.

Brian, who started off as a U.S. Army National Guard and later, joined the Army Reserves for 23 years before retiring, w...
01/25/2026

Brian, who started off as a U.S. Army National Guard and later, joined the Army Reserves for 23 years before retiring, was met with hardship as he began experiencing seizures due to a dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET).

While experiencing headache attacks had never been unfamiliar to Brian, this time around, the attacks had increased in severity.

🔗 Read Brian's full story here: https://bit.ly/3LQY11R

01/23/2026

What does research say about exercise and migraine? In this HeadWise™ clip, Laurel Short, DNP, breaks down findings from large studies on how aerobic exercise and strength training may help reduce migraine frequency and severity.

01/22/2026

In this episode, Laurel Short, DNP and host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, break down the science behind aerobic exercise, strength training, and yoga—and how each can influence migraine frequency, intensity, and overall wellbeing. They also discuss the difference between primary exercise headache and migraine, and why it’s important to talk with a healthcare provider when head pain is triggered by physical activity.

You’ll learn:
How moderate and high-intensity exercise may reduce migraine frequency and severity
Why exercise can sometimes act as a migraine trigger—and what factors like hydration, temperature, and fueling have to do with it
The difference between migraine and primary exercise-induced headache
How strength training and posture can support people living with migraine and neck pain
The role of movement in mental health, stress, and mood regulation
Practical, SMART goal strategies for starting—or restarting—an exercise routine safely

Watch the full episode to explore how to build a personalized, sustainable movement plan that supports both migraine care and overall health.

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162 W Hubbard
Chicago, IL
60654

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Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

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+13122742650

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Our Story

Founded in 1970, the National Headache Foundation is the oldest and largest foundation for patients with migraine disease and headache disorders. The Foundation is the premier educational and informational resource for those with headache, health care providers, and the public. The work of the Foundation is through education, raising awareness, advocacy, and research. At the national and state levels, we are informing policymakers and the general public of the need to help patients get access to safe and appropriate care. We are reaching out to employers throughout the US to provide education for their staff and support in their efforts to minimize the costs and the personal/social impact of chronic headaches. We also hope to educate and encourage the 40 million Americans with migraine and chronic headaches to become self-advocates with their healthcare practitioners, insurers, employers, and families.