Migraine: barriers for care

Migraine headaches affect 12% of the adult population in occidental countries and cause a significant economic loss due to decreased workplace productivity. However only a minority of migraine sufferers worldwide ever receive a correct diagnosis or appropriate treatment. Several barriers for adequate care contribute to this situation. In this article we discuss some strategies to bypass these barriers, summarised herein as: (1) identifying migraine sufferers in need of care; (2) improving medical recognition; (3) supporting the differential diagnosis; (4) improving medical confidence; (5) improving medical treatment; and (6) assessing treatment outcomes.