HeadWise

Hemiplegic migraine is a rare type of migraine with aura that causes temporary weakness on one side of the body, and it can look like a stroke. On this episode of HeadWise™, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, and headache specialist Vince Martin, MD, discuss the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hemiplegic migraine. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk with your...

What's behind facial pain, and how is it different from headache? Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, and headache medicine specialist Fred Cohen, MD, cover common facial pain conditions, how providers reach a diagnosis, available treatment options, and the specialists who can help.

In this episode of HeadWise, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD talks with neurologist and headache medicine specialist Paul Mathew, MD about how neck pain, headache, and migraine are connected, and why that connection so often gets overlooked in clinical visits. Paul Mathew, MD walks through three conditions that can explain neck pain occurring alongside headache: migrainous cervicalgia, where neck discom...

In this episode of HeadWise™, Dr. Alexandra Ross, a pediatric headache psychologist from Streamind Health, joins host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, to share real strategies for the school year ahead: building routines that stick, using 504 plans for accommodations, sneaking in "micro breaks" during class, and helping kids talk about migraine without the stigma. This episode is for educational purposes onl...

Meet Hope O’Brien, MD, MBA, the new president of the National Headache Foundation’s Board of Directors. In this episode of HeadWise™, Dr. O’Brien shares what led her to headache medicine, the challenges facing headache care today and her vision for the future of NHF.

What happens when headache, migraine-like symptoms or other symptoms persist after a concussion? In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by neurologist Shae Datta, MD, to discuss concussion, post-traumatic headache and the recovery process. They explore what to do after a concussion, when symptoms may require further evaluation and why headache can continue even after other concussio...

Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms associated with migraine, but they can look very different from one person to another. Some people experience mild nausea, while others may have vomiting that makes it difficult to eat, drink or take medication. In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by headache medicine specialist Fred Cohen, MD, to discuss nausea and vomiting with migraine....

What role could psychedelics play in the future of headache medicine? In this episode of HeadWise, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by Emmanuelle Schindler, MD, PhD, to discuss the latest research on psilocybin and other psychedelics in migraine, cluster headache, and post-traumatic headache. They explore how these compounds are being studied, what early clinical trials have found, safety cons...

In this episode of HeadWise™, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by Amelia Barrett, MD to explore how emerging research on biological pathways may help explain why some people experience treatment-resistant migraine. The conversation focuses on several actionable pathways involved in medication metabolism, methylation, and neurotransmitter function, and discusses how these processes may influenc...

In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by neurologist Amelia Barrett, MD, to explore the role histamine may play in migraine and headache disorders. Dr. Barrett explains what histamine is, how it functions in the immune system, and why elevated histamine levels may contribute to headache attacks in some people. They discuss the connection between histamine, inflammation, mast cells,...

In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by headache specialist Fred Cohen, MD, to explore one of the most common questions people ask about headache disorders: What does it mean if my head hurts in a specific location?

In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD is joined by Tim Smith, MD and migraine clinical trial participant Tierra Lillard to explore how migraine clinical trials help advance treatment options and improve care for people living with migraine.

In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by neurologist Amelia Barrett, MD, to explore the role of tyramine in headache and migraine. They break down what tyramine is, how it affects the body, and why certain foods may trigger headache or migraine attacks in some people.

In this week’s episode of HeadWise, Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, and Tim Smith, MD, break down the latest migraine research news. They discuss a new PACAP-targeting migraine treatment in development, research on exercise and migraine frequency, “false non-responders” to CGRP therapies, and new findings on THC/CBD and vaporized cannabis for migraine treatment. Listen now for a closer look at emerging migr...

Behavioral therapies can play a key role in migraine care. In this episode of HeadWise, Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by Dawn Buse, PhD, to break down approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), biofeedback, relaxation training, mindfulness, and ACT. Learn how these strategies help regulate the nervous system, reduce symptoms, and improve quality of life for people living with migraine.

Blood sugar may play a bigger role in migraine disease than many people realize. In this episode of HeadWise™, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, and guest Laurel Short, DNP, explore how blood sugar fluctuations, insulin, and meal timing may impact headache and migraine, along with simple strategies to help keep levels more stable throughout the day.

In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by headache medicine specialist Fred Cohen, MD, director of Headache Intervention in New York City and assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, to discuss why headache attacks commonly occur during viral illnesses like the flu, COVID, and other infections. They explore how inflammation and immune responses during illn...

In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by Sam Kelokates, PT, DPT, founder of Kelos Physical Therapy, to discuss how people living with migraine and other headache disorders can approach exercise safely and effectively. They explore how physical activity can both trigger and help prevent migraine, what the research currently shows, and how to build an exercise routine that supports l...

In this episode, Laurel Short, DNP and host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, break down the science behind aerobic exercise, strength training, and yoga—and how each can influence migraine frequency, intensity, and overall wellbeing. They also discussion the difference between primary exercise headache and migraine, and why it’s important to talk with a healthcare provider when head pain is triggered by phys...

In this episode, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, is joined by Dr. Dawn Buse, a psychologist specializing in headache and migraine, and Katie Oakley, who shares her personal journey living with chronic and post-traumatic headache. Together, they explore the role of behavioral therapies in migraine care and how these approaches can support prevention, quality of life, and safer treatment options for peop...

In this episode of HeadWise™, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, welcomes Katy Oakley, the new Chief Executive Officer of the National Headache Foundation (NHF). Katy shares her personal journey living with post-traumatic headache and chronic migraine following a traumatic brain injury in her twenties and how years of daily head pain, delayed diagnosis, and difficulty accessing care shaped her path to lea...

In this episode of HeadWise™, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, talks with headache specialist Fred Cohen, MD, about the viral migraine remedies circulating on TikTok, Instagram, and social media — and whether any of them are actually helpful. Together, they break down popular home remedies and “migraine hacks,” explaining which approaches may offer real relief, which lack evidence, and which could poten...

In this episode of HeadWise™, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, talks with Vincent Martin, MD—director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at the University of Cincinnati—about a foundational and evolving question in headache medicine: Is migraine a systemic disease? Dr. Martin explains why migraine is not always a single neurological disorder and how emerging genetic and population-based research is...

In this episode of HeadWise™, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, talks with Ferdinand Hui, MD, Medical Director of Neuro-Interventional Surgery at the University of Hawaii, about cerebral venous congestion—an emerging and often misunderstood contributor to persistent head pressure, visual symptoms, and chronic daily head pain. Dr. Hui explains how impaired venous outflow can disrupt the brain’s “waste-cle...

In this episode of HeadWise, host Lindsay Weitzel, PhD, talks with Elizabeth Seng, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at Yeshiva University, about cogniphobia—the fear and avoidance of cognitive exertion because of the belief that thinking too hard might trigger or worsen pain. Dr. Seng explains how this fear develops and how it can condition the brain to associate mental effort with danger. W...