Migraine and primary headache disorders
Diagnosing migraine, tension-type and cluster headache, acute and preventive treatment including CGRP drugs and PBS rules, medication overuse, and migraine in pregnancy.
Tier 1Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- Migraine affects about 1 in 7 adults, women three times as often as men, and is a leading cause of disability in people under 50.
- Diagnosis is clinical. With a typical history and a normal examination, imaging isn't needed. See Approach to headache for red flags.
- Treat attacks early and adequately, and limit acute medicine days to prevent medication overuse headache.
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Sources
- Therapeutic Guidelines: Neurology (migraine, tension-type headache, cluster headache)AU/NZTherapeutic Guidelines Limited (eTG complete), current eTG edition (version not verified)
- CGRP treatments and PBS access (New treatments update)AU/NZMigraine & Headache Australia, updated July 2026
- The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3)International Headache Society (Cephalalgia), 2018
- Pharmacologic treatment for migraine prevention in adults: practice guideline recommendations (Potrebic S et al. Neurology 2026)American Academy of Neurology and American Headache Society, 2026
- Calcitonin gene-related peptide-targeting therapies are a first-line option for the prevention of migraine: an American Headache Society position statement updateAmerican Headache Society (Headache), 2024
- Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management (CG150)NICE, 2012, updated 2025 (migraine prophylaxis update in progress, due 2027)
- 2025 guideline update to acute treatment of migraine for adults in the emergency department: the American Headache Society evidence assessment of parenteral pharmacotherapies (Robblee J et al. Headache 2025)American Headache Society (Headache), 2025
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Turnstile bot check on sign-in and signed-out feedback