Navigating a maddening maze of phone menus and waiting endlessly on hold are enough to give anyone a headache. But for migraine patients and others whose symptoms are worsened by stress, struggling with their insurers’ automated call system may prolong real pain.  

Biomedical researchers have made remarkable advancements in recent years, at least for certain diseases. Many conditions, however, remain underfunded and underexplored, leaving millions of patients without effective treatments or cures. 

Migraine symptoms can be debilitating. A throbbing head, nausea, and hypersensitivity to light and sound can all interfere with patients’ daily lives. The symptoms can also challenge patients’ ability to care for other illnesses or conditions at the same time. 

One in six Americans suffers from recurrent headaches. Congress can help.

That was the message from hundreds of patient advocates who gathered at the U.S. Capitol for this year’s Headache on the Hill. People living with migraine and other headache disorders use the annual event to highlight legislative solutions that could improve their health care – and their lives.  

Artificial intelligence could redefine the next decade of medicine, particularly in diagnostic tools for headache and migraine. But patient care is paramount, and policymakers should prioritize physician involvement and oversight.

Policymakers are asking the Biden Administration to investigate artificial intelligence’s role in decisions about which seniors get medical care.

People experiencing migraine attacks commonly report to the emergency room for treatment. But ERs seldom offer patients the most suitable treatment. So why go there? 

Some women may discover that their migraine attacks ebb and flow in sync with their menstrual cycle.  Known as “menstrual migraine,” the experience requires greater awareness and education, which the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Women’s Health is working to provide.