New York Headache blog

Could drugs like Ozempic, Saxenda, and Zepbound help migraines? Extra weight often increases migraine headache frequency and makes standard treatments less effective. But a study just published in the journal Headache shows that a medication commonly used for weight loss and diabetes, liraglutide (Saxenda), might offer relief for tough-to-treat migraines in people with obesity.

It was an unusual week at the New York Headache Center. After months of relative calm, my schedule suddenly filled with cluster headache patients—one even consulting me virtually from Saudi Arabia. The influx came right after a G5-level geomagnetic storm, one of the strongest solar events in recent memory.

A week-long meditation retreat produces dramatic changes in brain and metabolic functions

A new study published in the journal PAIN by Dr. A. Amorim and her colleagues at the University of California San Diego examined how mindfulness meditation reduces pain. The findings help clarify whether mindfulness meditation is more effective than simple slow breathing for pain relief.

A large Brazilian study published in Neurology followed nearly 13,000 adults for eight years and found something troubling: people who consumed the most artificial sweeteners showed faster cognitive...

Recently published research on lithium deficiency in Alzheimer’s disease has caught the attention of the media. As a neurologist specializing in pain and headache medicine with an interest in no...

There’s something powerful about human touch when you’re hurting. As a neurologist, I see every day how a gentle hand squeeze from someone you trust can shift your pain—not just emotionally, but in...

In my latest book, The End of Migraines: 150 Ways to Stop Your Pain, I mentioned studies that showed the pain-relieving effect of virtual reality. New research reveals how immersive natural environments...

Aphasia, a language disorder that often follows stroke, affects millions of people worldwide. It can make speaking, understanding, reading, and writing difficult or even impossible. For many, recovery stalls after the first few months, leaving…

Many women with migraine worry about taking their medications during pregnancy. Migraine drugs in the triptan family (like sumatriptan, rizatriptan, etc.) are very effective for stopping attacks, but questions have remained about their safety for…

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a term used by neurologists to describe symptoms such as forgetting names, losing focus, or struggling with simple tasks. While MCI involves subtle changes in memory or thinking that don’t…

Researchers at USC’s Keck Medicine presented a poster with their findings at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Headache Society in Minneapolis, which concluded yesterday. They described the effect...

A large new study led by Dr. Sait Ashina reveals that revolutionary migraine prevention medications remain significantly underutilized, even though they represent a major breakthrough in migraine...

For over 15 years, research has been building a compelling case that vitamin D plays a crucial role in neurological health, far beyond its well-known effects on bone health. Recent groundbreaking studies are...

For years, doctors and patients have worried that migraines—especially those with aura—might leave behind silent “scars” in the brain, visible as white spots (called white matter hyperintensities, or WMHs) on MRI...

Scientists at Copenhagen University Hospital compared 132 adults who still had headaches a year or more after a mild traumatic brain injury (called persistent post-traumatic headache, or PTH) with 751 people...

We have been using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to treat chronic migraine headaches and other types of pain and neurological disorders. An article published in Pain Medicine News provides...

At the New York Headache Center, we have been using fMRI-guided repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) to treat chronic migraine, posttraumatic headaches (PTH), pain syndromes, and neurological...

A major new study offers hope for athletes and others recovering from concussion: using over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics like acetaminophen and NSAIDs may significantly improve symptoms and reduce...

You may think of flossing as a way to keep your teeth and gums healthy, but new research shows that it may also protect your heart and brain. Recent scientific studies reveal compelling connections between gum health...

Concussions in children are far more than just a bump on the head—they can trigger subtle yet significant changes in brain function that may linger long after the visible symptoms fade. A recent prospective, longitudinal...

A new study suggests that zonisamide (Zonegran), a medication traditionally used to treat seizures, may help reduce migraine days in children and teens. The research, led by Dr. Anisa Kelley of Northwestern University Feinberg...

Check it out https://a.co/d/gwB2xEw...

In a recent study published in Pain by the University of Pittsburg researchers, the effectiveness of medical cannabis was compared with traditional prescription medications for managing chronic pain...

New research from McGill University published in the journal Pain suggests that the tempo—or speed—of music plays a crucial role in how well it helps reduce pain. In this study, researchers explored whether music that matches...

It was an honor to participate in the 35th Annual Winter Symposium of the Headache Cooperative of the Northeast, held on March 7 and 8. Leading headache experts from across the country covered many interesting topics...

A new study published in the Annals of Neurology by researchers at UCSF challenges our current understanding of what constitutes “normal” vitamin B12 levels, particularly regarding brain health. The findings suggest that...

Recent advances in neuroimaging are bringing us closer to an objective diagnosis of migraines. Korean researchers have published groundbreaking findings showing that migraine sufferers exhibit distinctive structural...

FDA has approved suzetrigine (Journavx) for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. The drug was found to be as effective as Vicodin (hydrocodone with acetaminophen) after surgery to remove a bunion...

A new Cochrane meta-analysis has reaffirmed the significant role of magnesium sulfate in reducing the risk of cerebral palsy (CP) and death in preterm infants. This comprehensive review, which analyzed six randomized...