ABSTRACT
Migraine is difficult to conceptualize. On one hand migraine is a self-limited episodic pain disorder, while on the other, it is a chronic progressive disease. Ironically, this could even describe the same person at two different stages of life. Migraine is also associated with significant morbidity and disability. This is due to the severity of individual acute attacks as well as the frequency and pattern of attacks over time. The importance of the clinical skills cannot be overstated. Because the majority of migraines do not seek medical consultation, those who do, often bring years of experience at attempting yet failing to control migraine. They often harbor misconceptions and biases about the cause of their headaches and their clinical needs. Health care professionals also bring their own set of biases into a clinical encounter with the patient presenting with headache, which may lead to patients feeling misunderstood, alienated, and frustrated with the medical system.
