Education is a powerful tool for migraine advocacy and awareness. Learn how you can GETHEADUCATED™ with free resources and opportunities.

This year, we welcomed Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (MHAM) with an exciting new initiative: GETHEADUCATED™. In coordination with the 2023 national #MHAM theme— Educate Yourself, Educate Others—our GETHEADUCATED™ initiative challenges the migraine community to learn about a different migraine topic each week and pass this knowledge along to their family and friends, community, healthcare circle and workplace.

We were excited to witness so many members of the migraine community come together to advance migraine awareness in June. Your participation brings us one step closer to ending the stigma and misconceptions surrounding this debilitating disease—but the work must continue to bring migraine out of the shadows.

Read on to learn how you can continue to advance migraine awareness year-round.

Educate Your Family and Friends

Loved ones can offer strength and comfort on your migraine journey, but the misconceptions they often have about this complex disease can be roadblocks to accessing this much-needed support. To kick off MHAM, we shared resources to help the migraine community educate their friends and family about migraine, including 10 ways to respond to ‘migraine is just a headache.’

Help your family and friends continue to GETHEADUCATED™ about migraine beyond MHAM. Our patient guide on Migraine Comebacks provides suggested replies to common misconceptions and questions from your loved ones.

Educate Your Community

Lack of attention on migraine and lack of resources hampers the development of effective treatments, research and support systems for people living with migraine. But if every person living with migraine spread awareness in their local communities, it would create a roar that would be too loud to ignore. During MHAM, we challenged each person in the migraine community to start a personal fundraising event to spread awareness about migraine and generate funds for research in their local communities.

You can help fill research funding gaps and continue to raise awareness year-round by creating a fundraising event for migraine. Here are some of our favorite community fundraising ideas.

Educate Your Healthcare Circle

From primary care providers to therapists, your healthcare circle includes some of the most important people in your migraine journey. However, a study from 2021 found that only 6.3% of physicians are knowledgeable about migraine prevention guidelines. This MHAM, we provided resources to help those in the migraine community learn how to discuss migraine with their healthcare providers and advocate for better care.

If you haven’t yet done so, take a moment to review our guide on talking to your doctor about migraine. You’ll find tools and strategies to help you feel confident having conversations about migraine with your healthcare provider at your next appointment. 

Educate Your Workplace

Because migraine is an “invisible” disease, employers and coworkers tend to underestimate the impact of migraine in the workplace. In a survey of nearly 200,000 American employees, a mere 22% of employees believed migraine warranted an absence from work as a significant condition. During MHAM, we shared facts about chronic migraine and resources on the impact of migraine in the workplace to help people educate their employers and coworkers about the daily reality of this debilitating disease. 

Bring migraine education to your workplace by advocating for a program like Migraine Fitness At Work™. Learn how it works here.

GETHEADUCATED™ All Year Long

Together, we can continue to drive change for migraine by spreading education and awareness all year long. Below are some additional ways you can GETHEADUCATED™ along with your loved ones, community, healthcare circle and workplace beyond MHAM:

  • Share our Migraine 101 page with your family and friends to help them understand the basics of migraine.
  • Speak out against prior authorization practices to forge the way for better treatment access. Find ways to advocate around this issue here.
  • Join our Move Against Migraine Facebook group for a safe space to connect with people who understand what you are going through and to learn about others’ unique experiences with migraine.
  • Read this blog on migraine self-advocacy to empower you along your advocacy journey.
  • Use our Find A Doctor tool to find a headache specialist near you.

Migraine State of the Union

Our annual Migraine State of the Union webinar offers the opportunity to learn about the future of migraine. During this year’s webinar, the migraine community heard encouraging updates about what lies ahead when it comes to migraine research, advocacy, awareness and clinical support. Our panel of experts included foremost experts in the field: Christine Lay, MD; Nim S. Singh, MPH; Lawrence C. Newman, MD; and David W. Dodick, MD. 

If you were unable to join us for the live webinar, you can watch the full recording below:

Advocating Beyond June

One of the best ways to continue educating others about migraine and rally support for migraine awareness and research on a larger scale is to become an advocate. Whether you are just starting out your migraine advocacy journey or looking for ways to stay active as an advocate, our new Migraine Advocacy Hub is a great resource. 

The Hub is a central location for migraine advocacy resources and opportunities to connect with others to mobilize against migraine in your community. You can use The Hub to learn about upcoming advocacy events—including a new NIH Survey, find nearby advocates and much more. Sign up to receive The Hub Headline Advocacy Alerts to stay informed about our advocacy and education initiatives and how you can get involved!

The American Migraine Foundation is committed to improving the lives of those living with this debilitating disease. For more of the latest news and information on migraine, visit the AMF Resource Library. For help finding a healthcare provider, check out our Find a Doctor tool. Together, we are as relentless as migraine.

We would like to thank Immediate Past Chair Lawrence C. Newman, MD, for gifting the GETHEADUCATED™️ trademark to the American Migraine Foundation!