Celebrating the Fourth of July with migraine is not easy. This festive holiday can be packed with sensory overload and migraine triggers. In this Migraine Minute, Molly O'Brien shares tips to help you enjoy the celebration while protecting your health.

Check out our triggers webpage: https://bit.ly/4kFOZRf

Script: While the Fourth of July can be a fun holiday to celebrate in the States, it can be tough for folks with migraine. Why? Well, there are so many factors that can be stacked against you. Think about it, heat, big crowds, staying up late, BBQ foods and drinks that might have triggering ingredients…Not to mention the bright flashes and loud bangs of fireworks. Research even shows exposure to sulfur dioxide, a common byproduct of fireworks, may trigger migraine attacks.

If you have migraine and still want to enjoy the holiday, here are some tips from our migraine community: Stay hydrated, wear earplugs, watch fireworks from afar or skip altogether, bring migraine-safe food and drinks to your cookout, wear sunglasses or migraine glasses and keep a consistent routine.

Don't forget to check out AMD's updated triggers page, where you can learn more about common migraine triggers and how to manage them.

Ever wonder if there was a way to make OnabotulinumtoxinA injections less painful? New research suggests using this treatment before injections may help. Molly O'Brien explains in this Migraine Minute news update.

Read the study: https://bit.ly/4wRHAFh

Script: For many people with chronic migraine, onabotulinumtoxinA, also known as Botox, is an effective treatment, but it can come with injection pain and post-treatment headache.

New research shows there may be an option to help ease that pain. A study published in HEADACHE, found that adults who used a REN, or Remote Electrical Neuromodulation device, felt less pain during injections. The study also found that only 15 percent of those who used the REN device reported post-treatment headache, compared with 55 percent of those who used the fake device.

The REN is sold under brand name Nerivio. It's a wearable, drug-free device that delivers electrical pulses to the arm, triggering the body's natural pain relief process.

Researchers say these results show Remote Electrical Neuromodulation could be a safe and easy way to make injection treatment sessions more comfortable.

Why does fighting migraine stigma matter? That stigma we face may be more harmful than many people realize. Research shows increased stigma is linked with higher disease burden. Molly O'Brien breaks it all down in this Migraine Minute News Update.

Read the study: https://bit.ly/4f8J6wv

Script: June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, and you're likely going to hear a lot about fighting migraine stigma. Let's take a look at why it really matters. Stigma is when someone is judged, dismissed, or treated unfairly because of a trait or condition. Through research, we're learning how harmful migraine stigma can be. According to the OVERCOME study, more than 30 percent of those living with migraine said they experience migraine stigma often or very often. The study found that increased migraine stigma was linked with higher disability, more burden between attacks, and lower quality of life, regardless of how many monthly headache days someone has.

Researchers say the social context of migraine might actually have a bigger impact on quality of life than the number of headache days!

With that, fighting stigma and spreading migraine awareness may help better the lives of all of us living with migraine.

A new study shows body pain is more common and widespread in people with migraine or tension-type headache, and may be linked to a greater disease burden. Molly O'Brien breaks down the study in this Migraine Minute News Update.

Read more: https://bit.ly/41BVe10

Script: According to a study published in the Journal of Headache and Pain, body pain is more prevalent and widespread in people with either migraine or tension-type headache.

Researchers in South Korea wanted to better understand the relationship between headache and body pain. They reviewed data from 1,870 people, finding that those with migraine or tension-type headaches reported more body pain than those without.

The location of pain differed between groups. Migraine was linked with neck pain, while tension-type headache showed a link to upper back pain.

The study also found that the more widespread and intense the body pain, the greater the headache burden, including more frequent and severe monthly headache days, lower quality of life, along with more depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

Researchers say the findings may point to central sensitization, where the brain and spinal cord become overly sensitive to pain signals.

According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, fremanezumab led to a greater reduction in migraine days per month than placebo in children and adolescents with episodic migraine. Molly O'Brien breaks down the study in this Migraine Minute News Update.

Read the study: https://bit.ly/4csROT5

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In August of 2025, the FDA approved fremanezumab, sold under brand name Ajovy, for prevention of episodic migraine in kids aged 6 to 17 who meet weight requirements. Now we're getting a look at additional research that supports how effective the drug is.

Over the course of three months, 123 young people received a once-per-month injection of fremanezumab, while the other 111 participants got the placebo.

According to the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, participants who received fremanezumab had fewer migraine days than those in the placebo group. They also had fewer moderate to severe headache days.

Nearly half of the group taking the treatment saw at least a 50 percent drop in migraine days…

The most common side effect was redness at the injection site. Study authors say a longer follow-up is needed to better understand safety and how well the drug works in kids and teens.

Feeling drained with migraine? New research shows that more than half of people with migraine report fatigue, and it's tied to more frequent attacks and greater disability. Molly O'Brien breaks down the details in this Migraine Minute news update.

Read More: https://bit.ly/4uNcspD

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More than half of people living with migraine say they also struggle with fatigue. That's according to a new study published in BMC's Journal of Headache and Pain.

The study included 2,403 migraine patients, 57 percent of whom reported fatigue.

They also found that people with fatigue had higher migraine frequency, worse sleep more disability, more severe cognitive symptoms, and more symptoms of anxiety and depression, compared to those who didn't.*

Study authors say that because fatigue is so common and impactful in migraine, it needs more attention. They suggested screening should be part of evaluations.

*Although the study did not specify the exact cognitive symptoms, common ones people often experience include brain fog, memory problems, or trouble focusing.

Insurance hurdles like prior authorization and step therapy prevent migraine patients from finding relief, but could payer blocking strategies lead to more ER and hospital visits? Molly O'Brien breaks it down the latest in this Migraine Minute news update.

Read the study: https://bit.ly/40OlvJ0

The Migraine Policy Forum: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-headache-migraine-policy-forum/

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A study published in Headache shows insurance restrictions that deny access to migraine treatments aren't just frustrating…. These so-called "payer blocking" strategies were linked to more ER visits and hospital stays.

Researchers reviewed information from more than 370,000 people with migraine who were denied access to prescribed migraine drugs at least two times because of payer blocking insurance restrictions like step therapy or prior authorization.

They found payer blocking affected about one in five patients and was more common among those with lower income or lower education levels. They also found people with a history of payer blocking were more likely to visit the ER or be hospitalized for migraine-related or other health issues.

Lead author Dr. Dawn Buse said, "These insurance barriers don't just delay care, they undermine quality of life, especially for those with fewer resources. Reducing them is essential to improving migraine outcomes."

As April is Autism Awareness Month, we're sharing new research on the relationship between migraine and autism. A study published in Headache shows people with autism are more likely to experience migraine or headache, and symptoms may be more severe. Molly O'Brien breaks it down in this Migraine Minute news update.

Read the Study: https://bit.ly/3PyF3P3

Creative Commons: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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A study published in Headache found that people with autism are more likely to also have headache or migraine than those without autism.

Looking at two data sets, researchers found that headache and migraine severity were increased in people with autism compared to those without.

Also of note, people with autism and migraine were more likely to have had negative experiences in childhood, such as bullying, being a victim of violence, poor health, anxiety, depression, and concussion.

Researchers note that migraine may be underdiagnosed in those living with autism due to communication barriers and that migraine screening may help with earlier diagnosis and treatment in those with autism.