Diagnosing, treating and living with migraine

Migraine is a common condition that affects around 12% of adults, with a higher prevalence in women (18%) than men (6%). Global burden of disease estimates in 2019 found migraine to be the leading cause of disability in women aged 15-49 years and the second leading cause of disability overall. 

On this episode, Drs. Mojole and Bigham interview three authors of two review articles on the topic published in CMAJ, which focus on diagnosis, acute treatment and prevention of migraine.  Dr. Velina Tzankova is a neurology resident at the University of Toronto; Dr. Werner Becker is a neurologist and the founding director of the Calgary Headache Assessment and Management Program, and currently professor emeritus in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary; and Dr. Tommy Chan is a neurologist and director of John H. Kreeft Headache Clinic at University Hospital in London, Ontario. 

As well, Drs. Bigham and Omole interview two women who have battled severe migraine since childhood: psychologist, Dr. Shanthy Edward, and med student, Zikra Awosanmi. They discuss the impact migraine headaches have had on their lives, the challenges they have faced accessing adequate treatment, and their thoughts on what physicians could better understand about this disabling condition.

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