incoming stitch...

Every time they got a migraine, they were given a pill. Now, sometimes the real pill, a Maxalt, other times, a placebo. When they were given the real pill but told it was a placebo, it worked significantly less. Your mind reduces the effectiveness being able to of the pill about the same as a placebo labeled Maxalt. She goes on to say that this proves the pain relieving effect about the same as the pain relieving effect of belief. So, this study is real and interesting. But here's what's missing from this conversation. If you don't know me, hi, my name is Morgan. I'm a neuroscientist and migraine researcher who's been living with chronic migraine for over 15 years. First: This study only included 66 people with episodic migraine, they meaning they had migraine attacks less than 15 days per month. And that distinction matters because the brain of someone with episodic migraine is fundamentally different from someone with chronic migraine. Chronic migraine changes your brain. Gray matter volume decreases in pain processing regions, there's increased sensitization, and higher inflammatory markers like CGRP between attacks. People with chronic migraine brain shows brain patterns during their "good days" actually look like someone with episodic migraine during an active attack. So, episodic migraine does NOT represent everyone with migraine. That's not just oversimplified, it's misleading. Second: Even in this study, real medication labeled correctly worked best. The placebo effect does not replace treatment. Yes, but it did not replace medicine. And here's what really bothers me. We are ignoring the fact that migraine is a disease with dozens of symptoms and neurological, it's not just pain. It's nausea, vomiting, vision changes, sensitivity to light and sound, cognitive dysfunction, and sometimes neurological symptoms that mimic a stroke. Stroke. This study measured pain is just one symptom of migraine disease. ONE a picture. Here's why this oversimplification is so damaging. People with migraine disease already face stigma. We're told "it's just a headache", "try yoga", and "have you not stressed"? Stop! And when influential voices say your belief is as powerful as your medication, it reinforces the idea that migraine patients aren't trying hard enough. If we believed more, thought more positively, we could manage our stress better, we could think our way out of this neurological disease. And it makes it harder for people to get the medical care they actually need and deserve. If this resonated with you, please share it so we can dismantle the stigma around migraine and educate people about the therapeutic interventions that are available.