New Patient Resource-86 Migraine-Busts Myths About Migraine and Urges People to Take Back Control
A new website, 86 Migraine (86migraine.org), with the goal of helping individuals with migraine bust myths, cancel--or 86, as they say in the service industry, and have more control over their lives launched today. The website is produced by the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF), a nonprofit patient advocacy organization. The 86 Migraine campaign includes multiple resources, including educational articles, quizzes, and links to helpful resources.
Of note, there are also 4 short new videos (about 1 minute long each) that depict the real-world experience of migraine and share voices of people living with migraine. The topics covered are Manly Men, Blue Light, What Migraine Feels LIke, and The Community. The first of these is a highly relatable video for the 6% of men in the US with migraine, who unfortunately are often told to "man up" when they are in pain instead of receiving access to care.
“Although women are disproportionately affected by migraine, men also experience painful and debilitating attacks, but are less likely to report them,” said Joseph Coe, MPA, a person living with migraine and the director, Education and Digital Strategy, at GHLF and CreakyJoints. “In an effort to reach the entire community of people living with migraine, one of our 86 Migraine videos directly speaks to men’s experience of the disease to discourage suffering in silence and encourage having a conversation with their health care provider to identify a management strategy.”
The Community video encourages people that they are not alone and that the 39 million people with migraine can come together and support one another. These videos are myth-busting and stigma-fighting and may empower people living with migraine to seek help for the condition.
Other campaign materials will debunk common myths about migraine, educate on traditional, complementary, and alternative therapies, and provide support. People living with migraine can download free Migraine Patient Guidelines and Migraine Caregiver Guidelines. In addition, 86 Migraine will encourage people living with chronic migraine to join GHLF’s 50-State Network, which helps people living with chronic disease advocate for better access to care on the local, state, and federal level.
“It’s a myth that migraine is just a really bad headache. The multitude of symptoms that comprise an attack can derail your entire day and chronic attacks diminish quality of life. Our goal is to provide support to the people who live with migraine so that they are empowered to educate themselves and their loved ones about migraine, and then take action to determine their management strategy based on their goals,” said Louis Tharp executive director and co-founder of GHLF and CreakyJoints.