Resources for Primary Care Practitioners
First Contact - Headache in Primary Care
The goal of First Contact - Headache in Primary Care is to provide educational resources to empower healthcare professionals and improve headache and migraine care for their patients.
Family physicians, internists, OBGYNs, pediatricians, PAs, NPs, and other allied healthcare providers can browse a variety of free resources on topics like Diagnosing Migraine, Acute and Preventive Migraine Treatment Options, Pediatric Migraine and Migraine, Pregnancy, & Lactation.
All resources are curated by leaders in headache medicine. We encourage providers in all stages of their careers to utilize our programming and educational tools to improve patient care and develop expertise in the field of headache medicine.
Migraine Quick Guides
Explore key information on the diagnosis and management of migraine and other headache disorders including acute and preventive treatment, navigating work up, behavioral treatment, and more.
Migraine Management Flowchart
This algorithm addresses the management of migraine, including for patients in acute care settings. In acute care settings, the likelihood of a severe headache being caused by an alternative and sometimes life-threatening condition is significant. Careful evaluation may be necessary before concluding the headache is due to migraine.
Patient Guides
We partnered with the American Migraine Foundation (AMF) to make these downloadable, doctor-verified patient guides available to our community. Browse our selection of guides and download them with ease.
Bring Headache and Migraine Education to Your Institution
The flagship offering of the First Contact program is our one-hour presentation, tailored to your audience’s needs and delivered by experts in headache care.
Watch the presentations on demand or bring them to your institution at no charge. We provide the speakers, slide materials, and can provide Zoom capabilities for a virtual presentation. In support of the talk, participants will have access to an ever-growing library of resources for managing headache in a primary care setting.
Headache Topics
Explore key information on the diagnosis and management of migraine and other headache disorders including acute and preventive treatment, navigating work up, behavioral treatment, pediatric migraine, and more.
Diagnosing Migraine
Navigating Work Up
Neuromodulation Treatment for Migraine
Acute Treatment for Migraine
Preventive Migraine Treatment
Behavioral Treatment for Migraine
Lifestyle Modification for Migraine
Medication Overuse Headache
Migraine With Aura
Vestibular Migraine
Pediatric Migraine
Migraine in Adolescent Patients
Migraine, Contraception, & Menstrual Cycle
Migraine, Pregnancy, & Lactation
Migraine in the Elderly
Podcasts
The First Contact podcast breaks down topics in headache medicine for healthcare professionals seeing patients with migraine and other headache disorders.
What Primary Care Providers Should Know About Newer Migraine Medications
In recent years, many new medications have been developed and approved for the treatment of headache and migraine disorders. Dr. Claire Sandoe and Dr. Michael J. Marmura review each of these new agents to help primary care providers feel comfortable incorporating them into their treatment plan.
Navigating Emergency Treatment for Patients With Migraine
When migraine or headache pain is at its peak and usual treatments aren’t effective, patients often turn to the emergency department for relief. In this episode, Dr. Benjamin W. Friedman discusses headache red flags that warrant referring to the ED, treatments that are administered to patients with migraine in the ED and more.
Examining the Link Between Dental Pain, Orofacial Pain and Migraine
Whether or not a patient has been diagnosed with migraine, it can be difficult to determine if orofacial pain needs attention from a dentist or orofacial pain specialist. What type of doctor should someone with orofacial pain see? How do you distinguish orofacial pain from migraine? Dr. Marcela Romero-Reyes answers these questions and more.
A Closer Look Into the Visual Symptoms of Migraine
Approximately 33% of patients with migraine experience fully reversible visual (most common), sensory, or other central nervous system symptoms—known as aura—prior to or during migraine attacks. Get answers to common questions about migraine aura from Dr. Kathleen B. Digre.
Recent Research
Explore the latest advancements in Headache Medicine research.
New Study Links Headache Pain to Circadian Rhythms
A recent study reveals the circadian influence on headache pain, uncovering potential treatment timing strategies for migraine and cluster headaches.
Dual Migraine Treatment Is Supported As Safe and Promising
New research in Headache evaluates the safety of combining atogepant and ubrogepant for episodic migraine. The TANDEM study offers important insights into dual-therapy tolerability — essential reading for clinicians optimizing treatment strategies.
Research Summary: Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and migraine: A narrative review
Patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) commonly experience migraine as a comorbidity. By understanding the underlying mechanisms that may link POTS and migraine, primary care practitioners can find targeted treatments that significantly improve their patients’ quality of life.
Research Summary: Brain connectivity predicts chronic pain in acute mild traumatic brain injury
Chronic pain prediction is a tool primary care practitioners can use to stage early preventive interventions.
Recent News
Explore timely articles to stay up to date on the most effective diagnosis and management tools in headache and migraine care.
2025 Annual Scientific Meeting Award Recipients
Meet the 2025 annual award recipients, recognized for excellence in research, service, and clinical care.
Advocating for Change in Headache and Migraine Care at Headache on the Hill 2025
Headache on the Hill 2025 united advocates in Washington, D.C. to push for policy change and increased support for headache and migraine care.
Advancing Headache Care: 2024 Grant Award Recipients
AHS has announced the 2024 research grant recipients, awarding $1.23M to projects advancing headache care. From AI tools to youth-focused interventions, these initiatives will be presented at future AHS meetings and in peer-reviewed journals.
International Headache Academy 2025: Event Recap
IHA 2025 brought 51 early-career neurologists and researchers together for expert-led sessions, hands-on learning, and mentorship. With a focus on research, clinical practice, and career development, the program continues to shape the future of headache medicine. Applications for IHA 2026 open this summer.
Videos
Access informative videos on effective headache and migraine diagnosis and management in primary care.
20 Common Migraine Myths Webinar
In this educational webinar, Adam Sprouse Blum, MD, debunks 20 common migraine myths. Tune in for a discussion on migraine myths and solutions to counteract these misconceptions.
Migraine in Pregnancy Webinar
In this educational webinar, Rebecca Burch, MD, FAHS, talks about the risks women with migraine can face during pregnancy and lactation, how to screen for new headache and which types of medications are safe for health care practitioners to incorporate in their treatment plans.
Menstrual Migraine Webinar
Tune in as Professor Anne MacGregor, MB, BS, MD, MSc, FFSRH, discusses the association between menstrual migraine and a woman’s menstrual cycle, in addition to the best treatment strategies for patients who experience this migraine variant.
Migraine in Pediatrics Webinar
Tune in as Lauren Doyle Strauss, DO, FAHS, and Jessica R. Gautreaux, MD, talk about the types of questions health care practitioners should ask young patients if they suspect pediatric migraine. They also discuss ways to involve children in discussions with their parents to create the best treatment plan.
Additional Resources
Treating Pediatric Headache
What physicians should think about when treating pediatric migraine.
Watch VideoAmerican Academy of Neurology Practice Guidelines
Access clinical practice guidelines to help make decisions on the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases.
Learn MoreAHS Position Statement on Integrating New Treatments into Clinical Practice
To provide healthcare professionals with updated guidance in the use of novel preventive and acute treatments for migraine in adults.
Learn MoreIn-person CME Presentations
Attendees should refer to their individual program courses available via Education On Demand for important information including disclosures, course evaluations, and to claim CME. Please refer to the QR code in your presentation deck to access the program course directly.
Access Education On Demand