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Lifestyle
PubMed · August 1, 2026
Researchers found that eating a low-carbohydrate diet built around plant foods — think vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains, while cutting back heavily on bread, sugar, and starchy foods — helped people with obesity or related health conditions lose roughly 5 to 7 kilograms (about 11 to 15 pounds). The same approach also lowered harmful LDL cholesterol and improved blood sugar level (A1C), which measures how well the body has been managing blood sugar over the past few months. These results came from seven studies involving nearly 1,000 adults and lasted anywhere from about one month to one year.
What's New
PubMed · August 1, 2026
Researchers found that eye drops containing a numbing medicine called tetracaine — the kind used to numb the surface of the eye — helped reduce migraine pain significantly faster than a fake drop in people treated in the emergency department, with pain scores dropping noticeably within just one minute. However, many patients who received the tetracaine drops experienced temporary blurred vision and eye irritation. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 23, 2026
Researchers found that people with migraine don't just suffer during a headache — they also carry a hidden burden in the quiet time *between* attacks, including anxiety, brain fog, avoiding social situations, and changing daily behaviors out of fear that a new attack might strike. This matters because it means the true impact of migraine on someone's life is likely being underestimated when doctors only focus on the attacks themselves. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that people who are naturally wired to stay up late and wake up later — often called 'evening types' or night owls — were about 54% more likely to experience chronic pain, including headaches, back pain, and muscle or joint pain, compared to people with earlier sleep patterns. This connection held up across 18 different studies, suggesting that when a person's internal body clock is out of sync with their daily schedule, it may play a real role in how much pain they experience. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with migraines who used a digital app called sinCephalea — which tracks how their blood sugar responds to different foods and suggests personalized low-sugar eating patterns — had fewer migraine days per month compared to people who used a standard app. The benefit was especially noticeable among people who closely followed the app's eating recommendations, suggesting that keeping blood sugar (the level of sugar in your blood) steady through personalized nutrition might help reduce how often migraines occur. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that injecting a numbing or muscle-relaxing medication directly near a nerve at the back of the head — guided by ultrasound so the doctor can see exactly where to place the needle — may help prevent frequent migraines just as well as taking daily medication. The study looked at people who had migraines on 15 or more days per month, which is a level that can seriously disrupt everyday life, and tracked how they felt over three months using measures of pain impact, mood, and quality of life. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that acupuncture may work just as well as standard medications for reducing migraine pain and lowering the number of migraine days per month, while also causing fewer side effects. This could matter for people with migraine who want to explore options beyond medication, or who have had trouble tolerating medication side effects. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that fremanezumab, an injection used to prevent migraines, helped people with migraine have nearly 6 fewer migraine days per month after just one month of treatment, with results continuing to improve over a year. About half of patients saw their migraine days cut in half within three months, and the medication was generally well tolerated, with constipation being the most commonly reported side effect. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that about 1 in 3 children and teens being treated with medication to prevent migraines experienced at least one unwanted side effect — things like fatigue, mood changes, or other reactions depending on the drug. Some medications had higher rates of side effects than others, raising questions about how safe and worthwhile these treatments are for younger people, whose growing bodies can be more sensitive. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 26, 2026
A study found that migraine may not fall neatly into two separate categories — 'episodic' (occasional) and 'chronic' (frequent) — but instead might be better understood as one condition that ranges from mild and infrequent all the way to severe and near-daily, with symptoms and life impact gradually worsening along that spectrum. Researchers analyzed data from over 10,000 adults with migraine across 14 countries and found that the more migraine days someone experienced each month, the more their quality of life and ability to participate in daily activities suffered — with no clear cutoff point where one 'type' ended and another began. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · June 13, 2026
A study found that eptinezumab — sold under the brand name Vyepti, given as an IV infusion — helped reduce how often and how severely migraines occurred in people who had both chronic migraine and a condition called medication-overuse headache, where taking too many pain relievers actually causes more headaches over time. Researchers found these benefits held up over 24 weeks, and participants also reported feeling better in their daily lives. This appears to be a new finding about how well this treatment works for this specific combination of conditions, rather than a safety update or guideline change.
What's New
PubMed · June 9, 2026
Researchers found that a group of injectable migraine-prevention medications — ones that work by blocking a protein in the brain called CGRP, which is thought to trigger migraines — consistently helped people with chronic migraine (meaning 15 or more headache days a month) have fewer migraine days, even among patients who hadn't responded well to other treatments. The medications also appeared to be well-tolerated, meaning most people didn't have serious side effects. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 8, 2026
A study found that certain chemical signals in the body — including ones linked to inflammation and blood vessel activity — rise and fall at different stages of a migraine attack. Researchers also found that caffeine appeared to reduce some of these signals during an active migraine, particularly in people whose levels were highest to begin with, which may help explain why caffeine sometimes eases migraine pain. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed (Guideline Reviews) · June 5, 2026
According to guidelines from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and several partner organizations, lower doses of corticosteroid (steroid) injections can work just as well as the higher doses that have traditionally been used for chronic pain procedures — which matters because these injections carry real risks, including raised blood sugar levels, weakening of bones over time, and effects on the body's natural hormone balance. The guidelines cover common pain procedures like nerve blocks and trigger point injections, looking closely at both how well they work and how to use them as safely as possible. People with chronic pain who receive these injections may want to ask their doctor about the dose being used and what side effects to watch for.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether lower doses of corticosteroid injections for the patient's chronic pain would work just as well as the standard doses while reducing risks like higher blood sugar and weaker bones.
What's New
PubMed · June 1, 2026
A study found that women with episodic migraine — meaning migraines that come and go rather than happening daily — who went through a type of talk therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy showed interesting links between their stress hormone levels and how much their migraines affected daily life. Specifically, cortisol, a hormone the body releases in the morning as a kind of natural 'wake-up' signal, appeared to be connected to how disabled patients felt from their migraines and their mood. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 1, 2026
Researchers found that atogepant, a migraine prevention pill, reaches the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord in only very small amounts — less than 1% of the level found in the bloodstream. This matters because scientists have debated whether migraine medications need to enter the brain directly to work, and this finding suggests atogepant may be effective even while mostly staying outside the brain. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 1, 2026
Researchers found that about 1 in 5 people with migraine also experience restless legs syndrome — an uncomfortable urge to move the legs, often disrupting sleep. The connection was even stronger in people who have had migraines for a long time, those with more severe migraine-related disability, and those who experience migraine with aura (a kind of migraine often preceded by visual or sensory warning signs). This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 1, 2026
Researchers found that a 6-week relaxation and biofeedback program — where patients learn to calm their body's stress response using real-time feedback — may work especially well for people with migraine who tend to worry a lot about physical discomfort in their bodies. People who worried more about bodily sensations at the start of the program seemed to get the biggest benefit in terms of migraine-related quality of life compared to those who just received standard self-management materials. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Lifestyle
PubMed · June 1, 2026
A study found that patients with chronic daily headache who practiced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — a structured talk-based approach that helps people change unhelpful thought patterns — and Biofeedback — a technique where people learn to control body responses like muscle tension using real-time feedback from sensors — saw improvements in sleep quality, reduced feelings of dread or helplessness about their pain, and less disruption to daily life. When both approaches were used together, the benefits were the greatest and lasted longest through a 2-month follow-up. All groups receiving these treatments showed meaningful reductions in how much headaches interfered with everyday activities.
What's New
PubMed · June 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with migraine who had lived with the condition for a shorter time — and who had more frequent headache days — were more likely to respond well to Botox (botulinum toxin type A) injections, a treatment used to help prevent migraines. This matters because it suggests that starting this treatment earlier in the course of the disease might lead to better results for some patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · May 25, 2026
Researchers found that on any given day, roughly 1 in 7 adults worldwide — that's over 600 million people — has a headache, with migraine being a major contributor; women were affected significantly more often than men. The scale of this finding matters because it shows just how common and widespread migraine and other headaches truly are, which could help push for more research funding and better support for people living with these conditions. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · May 24, 2026
Researchers found that acupuncture may help people with chronic daily headache — meaning headaches that occur very frequently, often 15 or more days a month — by reducing how often headaches happen, how long they last, how painful they are, and how much pain medication people needed to take. Importantly, these benefits appeared to stick around even after the acupuncture treatment period ended, not just during it. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · May 19, 2026
Researchers found that caffeine has a complicated relationship with migraines — it can actually work in two opposite ways depending on how it's used. People who habitually consume moderate amounts of caffeine over their lifetime appeared less likely to experience migraines overall, while those who suddenly stop drinking caffeine or consume large amounts in a short period (three or more caffeinated drinks a day) were more likely to trigger an attack. This matters for people with migraines because something as everyday as a morning coffee — or skipping it — could play a role in how often headaches occur. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · May 14, 2026
A study found that rimegepant (brand name Nurtec) — a pill taken at the start of a migraine — helped significantly more people become pain-free within 2 hours compared to those who took a placebo (a pill with no active medicine). Researchers pooled results from 9 studies involving over 7,000 people and found the medication was well-tolerated, meaning side effects were similar to those seen with a placebo. This appears to be a newer option for people with migraine, particularly noteworthy because some older migraine treatments come with heart-related limitations that rimegepant does not seem to share.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether rimegepant might be a better option for the patient's migraine pain compared to triptans, especially if the patient has heart concerns.
What's New
PubMed · May 9, 2026
Researchers found that two medications used to help prevent migraines in children — cinnarizine and topiramate — worked about equally well over a 12-week period. Both reduced the number of migraine attacks children experienced each month, dropping to around two attacks per month by the end of the study, down from a higher starting point. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · May 1, 2026
A study found that eptinezumab (brand name Vyepti), given as an IV infusion, helped reduce the burden of migraines for people who had both chronic migraine and a condition called medication-overuse headache — where taking too many pain relievers actually causes more headaches over time. Researchers found that people who received Vyepti alongside a brief education session reported less impact on their daily life, work, and overall quality of life compared to those who received a placebo (a treatment with no active medicine). This appears to be a new finding about how Vyepti may help a specific group of migraine sufferers who have not been well studied before.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether eptinezumab (Vyepti) might help reduce how often the patient gets migraines and whether it could improve the patient's daily life and productivity compared to other migraine treatments.
Medications
PubMed · May 1, 2026
Researchers found that a group of newer migraine medications — including injectable monthly treatments like Aimovig, Ajovy, and Emgality, as well as newer pill or nasal spray options like Nurtec and Qulipta — have been studied for real-world safety after they were already approved and in use. The study pulled together reports from large international databases where patients and doctors log side effects, looking for any patterns worth paying attention to beyond what was seen in original clinical trials. This is a safety update rather than a new treatment option — it's aimed at building a fuller picture of how these medications behave when used by a much wider range of people in everyday life.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should know about any safety concerns that have been reported after people started using CGRP migraine medicines like erenumab or small-molecule drugs like ubrogepant in real-world use outside of clinical trials.
What's New
PubMed · May 1, 2026
Researchers found that tiny needles — called microneedles, which are so small they barely penetrate the skin — may offer a new way to deliver migraine medication directly through the skin or inside the nose, potentially getting it into the body faster and with less discomfort than traditional injections or pills. This could matter for people with migraine because getting medication working quickly during an attack is often crucial, and some patients struggle to take pills when nausea sets in. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed (Open Access Guidelines) · May 1, 2026
Researchers found that among more than 433,000 veterans, migraine shares a strong genetic overlap with conditions like PTSD, depression, and traumatic brain injury — but having one doesn't appear to directly cause the other. They also identified dozens of new gene regions linked to migraine, which could point toward future treatments. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · May 1, 2026
Researchers found that a type of blood pressure medication called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) — which includes drugs like candesartan and telmisartan — may help reduce the number of migraine days per month when taken regularly as a preventive treatment. The analysis looked at four studies and found these medications could also increase the chances of having at least half as many migraines as before. People who experience frequent migraines might want to ask their doctor whether this type of medication could be worth discussing as a preventive option.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether a blood pressure medicine called an angiotensin receptor blocker—like losartan or valsartan—might help prevent the patient's migraines from happening as often.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.