2025 Scottsdale Headache Symposium Recap
The 2025 Scottsdale Headache Symposium® took place December 4-7, 2025, at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. This year’s event brought together healthcare professionals from 11 countries and 47 states for an amazing four days of learning, connecting, and enjoying the latest in clinical headache education.
Over the course of four days, participants experienced:
- Interactive lectures about the latest headache-related updates
- Presentations exploring real-world clinical scenarios
- Panel discussions held by the Mayo Clinic
- Hands-on workshops highlighting procedural interventions
The conference began with courses on cadavers, cluster headaches, headache essentials, and a master class in physical exams. As one participant said, “The conference and content offered were fantastic. The content reinforced my current knowledge and gave me many strategies to improve how I care for my patients,” which really emphasizes the importance of these events and the future of headache medicine. As the weekend continued, the participants connected with colleagues and other headache professionals through the lectures, panels, and presentations. Sunday ended with topics about obesity in headaches, pressure and volume disorders, and lastly, the conference wrapped up with a discussion on post-traumatic headache.
An essential part of this annual conference is connecting with colleagues and continuing to build our community. AHS members spoke about the conference, stating, “[It was] extremely well organized with educational presentations and great networking opportunities,” and “The content was comprehensive and applicable, the format facilitated learning and engagement, and [we] loved networking.”
Year after year, SHS is all about the same game-changing combo: real connections and interactive learning that bring the headache community closer together. Since that first meeting back in 1970, SHS has given members and professionals an exceptional weekend that builds community while expanding headache medicine education across the country. In fact, the attendance this year was the largest ever for an in-person AHS educational event. Many colleagues, here for their first time, joined together with those who make this an annual ritual,” stated Scott W. Powers, co-chair of SHS.
The 2025 conference marked an exciting milestone, with our first time in a new location after decades in the same spot, and it was one of the best yet. "The 2025 Scottsdale Headache Symposium at the new location, Westin Kierland, was by all accounts a tremendous success," said Carrie Dougherty, co-chair of SHS. "There was great content presented by faculty and an engaging discussion on current best practices in headache medicine."
As we look towards 2026, SHS will continue to be a cornerstone event for sharing updated knowledge, improving clinical practice and patient care, and supporting professional development, with a wonderful new home.
On-Demand registration is now available for the 2025 Scottsdale Headache Symposium and select pre-courses. View the full list of available courses via AHS Education On Demand here.