Analysis of Current Migraine Treatments: Intersections of Pharmacologic and Non-pharmacologic, Acute and Preventative Methods of Care

Abstract

Migraine affects 23.6 million people in the United States alone. Treatment options can be sub-typed as abortive and preventative, as well as pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic. Due to the debilitating nature of migraine, patients and physicians often rely heavily on abortive treatments. A review of the literature, along with a series of personal interviews suggests that preventative measures, used alone or with abortive treatment, increase the patient's control over the migraines . Additionally, nonpharmacologic interventions such as relaxation training, biofeedback, and dietary modification may offer migraine relief while improving the patient's quality of life. The integration of several treatment avenues represents a growing change in western culture toward prospective medicine, and will aid in maximizing treatment efficacy for migraine.