National Headache Foundation

12/17/2025

In this episode of HeadWise™, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, talks with headache specialist Fred Cohen, MD, about the viral migraine remedies circulating on TikTok, Instagram, and social media — and whether any of them are actually helpful.

Together, they break down popular home remedies and “migraine hacks,” explaining which approaches may offer real relief, which lack evidence, and which could potentially cause harm. Dr. Cohen shares the science behind commonly discussed strategies like caffeine, cold and warm compresses, salt cravings, topical treatments, neuromodulation, and cannabis, while also addressing more extreme trends such as mustard on the feet, banana peels, hair cutting, and specialty ear piercings.

This episode emphasizes that migraine is a neurological disease, not a condition solved by a one-size-fits-all fix. What works for one person may not work for another — and some remedies deserve a closer look before trying them.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why caffeine can help some migraine attacks but trigger others
- How cold and warm therapies may influence pain pathways
- Which viral remedies lack scientific evidence
- What the research says about cannabis and migraine relief
- When neuromodulation may be a safer, evidence-based option
- Why talking with your healthcare provider about home remedies matters

If you’ve ever wondered whether social media migraine tips are worth trying, this episode offers clear, practical guidance grounded in medical expertise.

12/15/2025

Does caffeine really help during a migraine attack or can it make things worse? In this clip from our upcoming episode, releasing 12/17, of HeadWise, Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, and headache specialist Fred Cohen, MD, unpack some of the most common rumored migraine remedies. Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode!

12/15/2025

The National Headache Foundation supports the American Headache Society’s position statement calling for annual migraine screening for girls and women. Migraine is a common, disabling neurological disease that disproportionately affects women, especially from adolescence through menopause, yet it remains widely underdiagnosed and undertreated. Routine screening using a brief, validated questionnaire can help identify migraine earlier, connect people to appropriate care, and reduce long-term disability and healthcare burden.

NHF supports integrating annual migraine screening into preventive healthcare services and recognizes this as an important, evidence-based step toward improving diagnosis, treatment access, and quality of life for people living with migraine.

Read the full AHS position statement: https://bit.ly/4s3GAM0

Objectives The aim of this work was to develop an American Headache Society position statement addressing diagnostic screening for migraine among girls and women. Background Despite its high preva...

12/12/2025

What causes migraine disease? In this clip, Dr. Vincent Martin explains why migraine was once believed to be a vascular condition, how science later shifted toward a neurological model, and why genetics eventually revealed that multiple systems may be involved. Sometimes migraine is driven by nerve-based dysfunction; other times, blood vessel changes play a larger role. It all depends on the biology behind the symptoms and why migraine begins in the first place.

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!

12/11/2025

Last week, the National Headache Foundation attended the American Headache Society Conference — and we’re excited to share how this work supports you.

Here are a few highlights:
• Joined advocacy meetings on important issues like insurance barriers and ways to make the pre-authorization process easier
• Attended sessions to learn about the latest research — information we’ll use to shape future podcast episodes
• Met with and educated dozens of healthcare provider about NHF programs, including for our headache certification, AQH
• Shared updates about NHF programs with healthcare partners and brainstormed ideas for the upcoming year
• Connected with fellow headache nonprofits to strengthen support for patients and for primary care teams

We’re proud of the progress — and even more excited about what it means for people living with headache and migraine.

Every conversation helps us move closer to better care, better access, and better support for our community.

12/10/2025

In this episode of HeadWise™, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, talks with Vincent Martin, MD—director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at the University of Cincinnati—about a foundational and evolving question in headache medicine: Is migraine a systemic disease?

Dr. Martin explains why migraine is not always a single neurological disorder and how emerging genetic and population-based research is revealing that only about half of migraine risk is inherited. He discusses how certain environmental factors—including head trauma, respiratory and immune-related conditions, and even gastrointestinal disorders—may contribute to developing migraine disease or increasing migraine frequency over time.

They explore:
• Why migraine may be neurologic, vascular, or influenced by other systemic conditions
• What Mendelian randomization studies reveal about diseases that may actually cause migraine
• How depression, asthma, autoimmune disease, IBS, and celiac disease intersect with migraine
• Why people sometimes develop migraine later in life after injury or physiological change
• The difference between what causes migraine disease versus what triggers an attack
• How whole-person clinical evaluation may change migraine diagnosis and management

This conversation offers clarity on a topic many people have sensed but lacked language for—why migraine often feels like more than “just head pain”—and presents a science-based understanding of how the brain, immune system, vascular function, and other organ systems interact in migraine disease.

12/08/2025

What actually causes migraine disease? In this clip from our upcoming episode of HeadWise, releasing 12/10, Dr. Vincent Martin breaks down how migraine is only partially genetic, and how environmental causes—such as injury to the head—may influence the development of migraine symptoms.

12/05/2025

Nancy Harris Bonk shares an honest look at the day-to-day reality—how exhausting and overwhelming it can be, and the mindset shift that helped her navigate life with migraine disease and other chronic conditions.
Instead of focusing only on finding a cause or a cure, she explains why learning to live with these conditions has been key to moving forward.

Watch the full NHF Insights episode for more perspectives and support.

12/03/2025

NHF InSights™ is a podcast from the National Headache Foundation that explores important topics in headache and migraine through thoughtful conversations with experts, advocates, and people with lived experience.

Each season focuses on a different theme—ranging from clinical care and research to intersections in the workplace, mental wellbeing, and common comorbidities—offering valuable insights for patients, families, and healthcare professionals alike.

In this first episode of our NHF Insights series on migraine and other co-morbid/co-occurring conditions hosted by NHF CEO Katy Oakley, Dr. Fred Cohen and Nancy Harris Bonk discuss the connections among migraine and common co-morbidities from both the physician and patient perspective. They also provide practical tips on how patients and providers can work together to manage multiple conditions.

On this episode they explore:

· How patients can ensure they get an accurate diagnosis of both migraine and their other co-morbid conditions when walking multiple disease journeys
· How patients can work with their providers to determine the best therapy for each person
· How patients can manage, diagnose, and treat their migraine along with other co-morbid conditions
· How patients can they live their best life with co-morbidities

Find out more about these connections in this insightful episode! Other future episodes in this series will do a deep dive on the connection among migraine and depression/anxiety and migraine and sleep. This InSights series is supported by Axsome.

12/02/2025

More than 40 million Americans live with a headache disorder. For them, this isn’t an occasional inconvenience—it’s a daily disruption that steals time, careers, and moments with the people they love. Many spend 7–10 years searching for an accurate diagnosis while navigating stigma and misunderstanding. This burden is personal and it’s unacceptable.

As we look toward 2026, we urgently need your support to build a future where these conditions are treatable, understood, and taken seriously.

Your monthly gift creates real, immediate impact:

🔹 $20/month — Shares real patient stories and delivers Headache & Migraine Care Kits at community events (25+ events this year)
🔹 $50/month — Supports trusted education like our HeadWise™ Podcast & Videocast (37 new episodes this year)
🔹 $100/month — Keeps our Provider Finder up-to-date so people can find knowledgeable specialists (200+ hours of updates this year)

Help us give people back their days, their careers, and their lives.
The end of the year is our most critical window to secure the resources needed to support those affected.

Thank you for recognizing the personal toll of this disease and for standing with us.

Make a life changing gift now: https://bit.ly/3Zi3MIJ

12/01/2025

What does “comorbid conditions” really mean for someone living with migraine disease?

In this clip, Dr. Fred Cohen explains why migraine often appears alongside conditions like anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, and gastrointestinal issues—and why that doesn’t mean one causes the other. It’s all connected to how the brain regulates the body and how chronic pain can influence multiple systems.

Learn more in the full NHF Insights episode releasing 12/03.

11/23/2025

After getting breast implants in 2014, Kim began experiencing daily headache attacks the next year, along with an autoimmune disease diagnosis. The attacks eased after 2016, coming and going for nearly eight years. But in May 2024, they returned.

🔗 Read Kim's full story here: https://bit.ly/4icuhIQ