Finding a Migraine Doctor
Having a chronic illness like migraines means that you will invariably spend a lot of time and money on medical care. To achieve the best possible outcome when seeking medical treatment the most important step in the whole process occurs at the beginning – finding the right person(s) to provide help.
It goes without saying that it’s imperative that you find a doctor who is knowledgeable, caring, and compatible with your personal style. The doctor might be a migraine specialist or your primary care physician. The type of doctor isn’t as important as making sure you find someone that’s understanding, listens to your concerns, and adequately addresses your needs. You need to find a physician that you can trust – someone that you can be honest with and that’s honest with you. You must feel comfortable that the doctor is interested in helping you. It’s also important that your doctor keeps up with the latest scientific research in migraine treatment.
The quality of the patient-doctor relationship is important because, if you’re a migraine sufferer, you know that there’s no “cookbook” approach to treating migraines. It’s very much a trial and error process and there’s no “one size fits all” solution for each patient. In some cases you and your doctor may be exploring the options together, testing and trying many different medications before finding the right one that works best for you. And with migraines, what works one year may no longer be effective the next, so establishing a long term with your doctor is paramount to your success in treating migraines. It’s also important to be comfortable enough to talk openly with your doctor about what does and doesn’t work; this directly affects the choices your doctor makes in treating the condition.
Things to Consider When Looking for a Migraine Doctor
When considering whether a doctor is a candidate for helping you with your migraine condition ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you feel you can talk honestly to the doctor about your migraine condition without feeling judged or criticized if you still have migraines while taking the medication prescribed by the doctor?
- Is the doctor willing to listen to your feelings and thoughts about how well his/her medical treatment is working?
- Is the doctor willing to change your migraine medication(s) if they stop working or if the side effects are intolerable?
- Is the doctor knowledgeable about the latest theories on migraine and the current research on migraine treatment?
And most importantly:
- Is the doctor interested in treating your migraine condition and patiently working with you until an effective treatment can be found?
If most of the answers to the questions is “yes” that’s great however it’s most important that you can honestly answer “yes” to the last question.
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