Migraine Comorbidity and the Clinical Implications Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from chronic migraines. Migraine headaches are much greater in severity and length then 'normal' headaches. The last decade has begun shed light on the debilitating effect that this disability has on its victims. Migraine sufferers now have hundreds of medications to try and get their pain under control (Sammons, 2005). Fortunately, most of the preventative migraine medication is relatively cheap (e.g., beta-blockers, SSRIs). Unfortunately, however, an estimated 20% of chronic migraine individuals are on an effective treatment plan. Many people have learned to live with their disability and do not seek relief after a single unsuccessful attempt …show more content…
In 2003 Jane Magnusson attempted to clarify which problems are the most distressing. She found that high intensity migraines were associated with higher levels of depression and emotional distress (Magnusson, 2003). The frequency did not seem to correlate with disability, depression, or emotional distress (Magnusson, 2003). Although 10 million Americans meet the criteria for chronic migraines, it is estimated that 30 to 40 million Americans experience 2 or more migraines a year. With this number in mind, I believe it would beneficial for psychology to develop and research effective emotional treatments for patients with migraines. Despite more than a decade of efforts to standardize headache treatment, management of the patient burdened not only with headaches, but with other accompanied bodily pains and emotional problems depends, more often than not, on the disorder the patient happens to “present,” and the corresponding medical specialty that happens to provide treatment. Unless the individual first seeks out a headache care center or headache specialist in neurology, they are likely to find the road to recovery long and painful (Zwart, …show more content…
The average migraine sufferer presents with multiple health and/or psychological problems (Beghi, 2007). Most studies indicate around 50% of these patients have at least one affective disorder (Beghi, 2007). Psychologists have long known that comorbid disorders are systematically linked psychosocial problems and harmful environmental conditions. However, the specific environment and psychosocial triggers are not easily identified. Research is now being done to identify 'essential feature' patient subtypes of chronic migraine patients. I believe these patient subtypes will be a valuable tool in finding the shared pathophysiological mechanisms, and will consequently assist us in understanding the true nature of a migraine