Primary Care Perspectives: Episode 141 - Managing Pediatric Migraine Headaches in Primary Care

Are occipital headaches always cause for alarm? What if the headache is always on the right side or the left side? What is a thunderclap headache? Ishani Kumar, MD, pediatric headache fellow, Division of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, provides a review to help primary care providers manage migraine headaches, including: tips for taking a headache history; red flags; distinguishing a migraine from a tension headache; explaining aura with headache; use of NSAIDs and triptans for pain; use of nutraceuticals for prevention; how to counsel patients about when improvements from treatment may begin (usually at least 8 weeks); when to refer for outpatient imaging and to neurology; when to send to the ER for urgent imaging or work-up; and more. This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered as medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgment in making recommendations to their patients. ©2023 by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, all rights reserved.