Welcome to the inaugural issue of a magazine that is intended to both educate and entertain the many millions of Americans who suffer from migraine. As a physician and fellow migraineur who has treated thousands of migraine patients, conducted research in the field and assisted in the development of virtually every new treatment for headache since the emergence of sumatriptan (Imitrex) in the late ‘80s, I have a particular allegiance to our readership.

Migraine is a decidedly odd malady. Although rarely life-threatening, it is frequently life-altering. Migraine imposes a tremendous physical, financial and psychosocial burden upon our society, and for those afflicted it may persist, throughout most of their lives.

While common, the disorder is poorly understood both by the public and by healthcare providers, a situation that results all too often in a failure to seek medical care or medical mismanagement and consequent patient frustration when such care is sought.

In this and subsequent issues we will attempt to dispel the many myths that surround migraine, acquaint you with the tremendous strides that have been made in understanding and treating the disorder and, most important, offer some guidance as to how you, the migraineur, may enjoy life more fully and control your headache disorder more effectively