MIGRAINE PROPHYLAXIS

Course overview

RECURRENT MIGRAINES CAN BE FUNCTIONALLY DISABLING AND CAN IMPAIR QUALITY OF LIFE. AFTER THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE MIGRAINES, ALL MIGRAINE PATIENTS SHOULD BE EVALUATED FOR PREVENTIVE THERAPY. THE PURPOSE OF PREVENTIVE THERAPY IS TO DECREASE THE FREQUENCY, SEVERITY, AND DURATION OF MIGRAINE ATTACKS. FURTHERMORE, PREVENTATIVE THERAPY CAN INCREASE RESPONSIVENESS TO ACUTE MIGRAINE THERAPY AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. PROPHYLACTIC TREATMENT IS NOT CURATIVE, AND MOST PATIENTS WILL STILL NEED ABORTIVE MEDICATIONS FOR ACUTE MIGRAINE. BEFORE STARTING PROPHYLACTIC MEDICATIONS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM EVALUATE IF PATIENTS ARE USING PROPER AND ADEQUATE ABORTIVE THERAPIES. OVERUSE OF ABORTIVE MEDICATIONS CAN CAUSE REBOUND HEADACHES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE PROPHYLAXIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.