AHS 2022 | Current recommendations on lifestyle management in headache care

Lauren Natbony, MD, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, NY, discusses the purpose and current guidelines on lifestyle recommendations in headache care. With lifestyle recommendations being orientated around healthy lifestyle behaviors, overloading patients with all the behaviors that need changing can be overwhelming and potentially make them feel to blame. The American Academy of Neurology updated its headache quality measurement set in 2020, stating that providers should counsel patients on lifestyle and behavioral modifications at every visit – however, there are no guidelines on how to do it. With the stigma surrounding headaches disorders, it is important to empower the patients to develop healthy lifestyle behaviors over time; this will encourage a more positive approach to addressing headaches and show that the clinicians are listening to the patient’s needs. This interview took place during the 2022 American Headache Society (AHS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Denver, CO.