Headache and Migraine Sufferers ‘Bill of Rights’

Is a diagnosis important?

Some time ago (2000), the International Headache Society, published a Headache Sufferers ‘Bill of Rights’.

The first ‘bill’ is that the headache sufferer has the right to know his/her headache diagnosis as precisely as possible, and to know the nature of the headache disorder, its prognosis and the possible types of treatment.

I would like to spend the next few posts looking more closely at these points:-

“the headache sufferer has the right to know his/her headache diagnosis as precisely as possible”

diagnosis is difficult because it is based on a set of signs and symptoms, and the signs and symptoms of many different headache and migraine forms overlap – perhaps that is why many headache sufferers have been given 2, 3 or even 4 different diagnoses

not only do we have ‘Pure’ Menstrual Migraine, but now ‘MRM’ i.e. Menstrual Related Migraine, Menstrual Tension Headache, Menstrual Hemicrania Continua, Cluster Headache associated with menstruation etc and this is just headache or migraine supposedly associated with the menstrual cycle

the ‘triptans’, supposedly developed to stop the migraine process are effective in other forms of headache e.g. Menstrual Migraine, Cluster Headache, Cervicogenic Headache, and Hemicrania Continua

different headache and migraine forms responding to a range of cervicogenic (neck) treatments e.g. greater occipital nerve blocks, cervical spine stimulators

Is a diagnosis important? As far as I can see, and given the research, a diagnosis does not optimise the management of headache or migraine – it remains a ‘let’s try this and wait and see’ approach – clearly an unsatisfactory situation.

Cheers

Dean

(Members’ Handbook. International Headache Society 2000 Scandinavian University Press)

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