Migraine pain and what to do about it By Jesse Hyde, ARNP, CRNA, NSPM-C Pain Management Clinic at Osceola Regional Health Center   In light of June being Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, I would like to discuss chronic migraines along with common characteristics, diagnostic criteria, conservative treatments, and interventional treatments to help ease migraine headaches and symptoms.   Characteristics of migraine headache: Throbbing or pulsating pain that often occurs on just one side of your head Moderate to severe pain intensity Usually lasts for 4-72 hours Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound, sensitivity to smells Pain is aggravated with routine physical activity   Diagnostic Criteria: Studies suggest that the misdiagnosis rate for chronic migraines is between 50-80%.  This high rate is significant and can lead to both unnecessary treatments and delays in appropriate treatments.  Diagnosing chronic migraines can be difficult as symptoms of migraine can overlap with other headache types.  Patients may also not be fully aware of the prevalence and characteristics of migraine and may not seek medical opinion.  The diagnostic criteria for chronic migraines is as follows: Headache occurring on 15 or more days/month for more than 3 months Headache has at least two of the following four characteristics: [...]