• Home
  • About
  • Books of Truth
  • Migraine Sites

Migraine Truth

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« “No More Migraine?” A Vitamin Cure?
Imitrex: NOT a Migraine Preventive »

Headache-Adviser: When “Experts” Can Confuse

October 30, 2009 by Arabella

An interesting site and blog I came across are at www.headache-adviser.com. The woman who writes and runs the site is a physician assistant practicing in neurology. She says she has “been specializing in headache medicine for over seven years” and lists other qualifications that make her an “expert.”

After that introduction, you’re probably wondering why I’m writing about her and the site and why part of the title of this entry is “When ‘Experts’ Can Confuse.”

The answer is actually pretty darned simple. In “headache medicine,” most specialists follow the gold standard for diagnosing and classifying headache disorders – the International Headache Society’s International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-II).

There are health care professionals who give diagnoses that aren’t part of the ICHD-II, which might not be so confusing but for one detail. They don’t use these diagnoses consistently. One of the most frequently used of these so-called diagnoses is “ocular Migraine.” It’s not part of ICHD-II, and you can find it online used to describe all kinds of different symptoms from a Migraine with a mild visual disturbance to a Migraine that causes full blindness in one eye to any Migraine that has the visual aura, but no pain.

And this is what’s confusing about Migraine-Adviser. I’m not even going to go into the types of headaches she talks about that aren’t in the ICHD-II, but here are some supposed types of Migraines she writes about:

  • Vestibular Migraines (She also says, “the name for this is just another name for vertiginous Migraine.”
  • Cluster Migraine Variant
  • Complex Migraines (She lists weakness on one side of the body as a symptom of “complex Migraine.” A check with a couple of Migraine specialists and researchers verified for me that the only form of Migraine with actual motor weakness as a symptom is hemiplegic Migraine.”
  • Ocular Migraine

Oh, and here’s an interesting side note. This “expert” attended the International Headache Society meeting lass month. OK. Well, maybe  she’s unfamiliar with the IHS diagnostic criteria and classification system.

In any case, the point is that it’s disappointing to see sites that could do so much good possibly adding to all the rest of the online confusion instead.

Best,
Arabella ♥

Share this:

  • Email
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in "Experts", Blogs, Disappointing | Tagged Headaches, Migraine blogs, Migraine Headaches, Migraines, Types of Migraines | 4 Comments

4 Responses

  1. on November 1, 2009 at 10:27 pm Megan Oltman

    Arabella she gets an awful lot of traffic, too, her site is Alexa listed at around 200,000. I’m trying to figure out why.


  2. on November 15, 2009 at 4:53 pm Mary Kay

    Hello Arabella,
    Since I have linked to your site and posted favorably about the work you are doing, I am a bit confused as to why you should basically slam mine?

    I am considered an expert in my field among Physician Assistants. I have lectured nationally at PA conventions and have lectured numerous times regionally in my area.

    I have written headache protocols, do research BASED on the International Headache Society’s classifications.

    I do not mean to confuse my readers, but rather explain headache types without using the headache classifications. This only serves to confuse many patients who are not well educated in medicine. I have found that using colloquial terminology makes it easier to understand.

    Just so you know “complex migraine” is the more simple term for hemiplegic migraine…but in the world of the internet that is the keyword more people search for.

    Mary Kay Betz MS RPA-C


  3. on November 15, 2009 at 6:15 pm Arabella

    Hello, Mary Kay,

    I realize you are considered an expert, and even though you may not think so, I do respect that. That was part of my point.

    “Complex Migraine” is the more simp-[le term for hemiplegic Migraine by whose definition? That too is part of the confusion. In doing a web search, I found many, many references to “complex Migraine, and not one of them mentioned hemiplegic Migraine. Many of these were also from experts.

    From Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, on MSN Health and Fitness:
    “Some people suffer from what we call complex migraines. These are migraine headaches accompanied by neurological symptoms. The symptoms that can occur during an episode include:

      • Difficulty moving one side of the body
      • Slurred speech, difficulty finding words
      • Imbalance
      • Vision problems”

    From Dr. Robert H. Shmerling at Aetna’s InteliHealth:
    “A “complex migraine” is one in which there are neurological symptoms such as weakness, loss of vision or difficulty speaking in addition to the headache. In fact, a complex migraine may be mistaken for a stroke.”

    Before I wrote this article, I talked with two other experts who attended the IHC in Philadelphia in September. They both agreed that the inconsistent use of terms such as “complex Migraine” can be quite confusing to patients and that they prefer that their patients read sites that use diagnostic terminology from the ICHD-II. One of them stated that when a term such as “complex Migraine” IS used, they wouldn’t have a problem with it if the ICHD-II diagnosis were there as well. That seems like a good solution to me — using both the formal ICHD-II terms and the “more simple” terms.

    Best,
    Arabella


  4. on November 16, 2009 at 3:57 pm Mary Kay

    Hi Arabella,
    I totally agree..confusion abounds. Sometimes I will see someone and the incoming diagnosis is “complex migraines, rule out strokes”. So you see, the doctor sending me the patient is using it and then the patient tells me that is what they have!

    You are clearly up on many terms used in the world of headaches but most people aren’t..many have only a high school degree and if medical terminology is thrown at them they actually get a bit mad…so I am back to explaining in simpler terms.

    Round and round I go..

    Mary Kay



Comments are closed.

  • Contact Arabella

    Do you blog about Migraines? If you do, and you'd like your blog added to my blogroll, or if you wish to contact me for another reason, please email me!

    Best,
    Arabella

  • Thank you!

     

    Medical Assistant Schools
    Presented by:
    Medical Assistant Schools

     
    HealthBlogger Network
    Arabella Robinson
    Migraine & Headaches Community
    Wellsphere
  • My Favorite Migraine Newsletter…

    The best newsletter I've found for Migraine and headache information.
    Subscribe Now!
  • Blogroll

    • Brainless Blogger
    • Down the Rabbit Hole
    • Free my Brain from Migraine Pain
    • Her Life in a Nutshell
    • jasmine's cove
    • Migraine Chick
    • Migraine Girl
    • Nancy Bonk’s Migraine Posts
    • Pink Purl Girl
    • Putting Our Heads Together
    • Rain Gem
    • Rhymes With Migraine
    • Somebody Heal Me
    • Teri Robert’s Posts
  • Twitter Updates

    • Just endorsed @trobert for Health Activist Hero in the #HAAwards from @wegohealth. awards.wegohealth.com/nominees/teri-… 5 years ago
    • RT @TRobert: That #migraine Was Just Waiting! - #migraine rmdy.hm/7xI via @HealthCentral @eschnak 6 years ago
    • RT @TRobert: RT @ahsache: Dr. Rob Cowan on Life After #Headache and #Migraine bit.ly/OxjvZr 6 years ago
    • RT @TRobert: RT @ahsache: ACHE Tuesday: @TRobert explains Orgasmic and Preorgasmic #Headache @ahsheadache @ESchnak bit.ly/M9gs7F 6 years ago
    • RT @TRobert: United to raise awareness about #Migraine and other #headache disorders. ow.ly/byYvK @picbadges @eschnak 6 years ago
    • RT @TRobert: #migraine Question of the Week - Will this #migraine ever end? - #migraine rmdy.hm/8Cr via @HealthCentral 6 years ago
  • Recent Comments

    Leslie K on Migraine Truth: Migraine Pearl…
    Arabella on Caffeine and Migraine
    Barry Spencer on Caffeine and Migraine
    Arabella on The Migraine Relief Guide, Eli…
    John on The Migraine Relief Guide, Eli…
  • Archives

    • February 2011
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • May 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008

WPThemes.


loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: