NORTH KINGSTOWN – The Association of Migraine Disorders, a nonprofit organization with a mission to end the suffering from migraine illness through research, education and collaboration, calls on health professionals, the 37 million Americans suffering from migraines and the general public to acknowledge migraine’s widespread impact on June 21 and urge Congress to fund research for non-addictive alternatives to opioids for migraine sufferers.
“Migraine disease is estimated to be responsible for 9 percent of all U.S. lost labor productivity and causes millions of days lost from school,” Dr. Frederick Godley, president of the Association of Migraine Disorders, said in a statement. “We’re urging people to support funding of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act … which was passed in 2016 and supports the study of non-addictive alternatives to opioids.”
The World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease survey of 310 diseases found that, on average, someone living with migraines loses 2.5 years of healthy life, the release said. By this standard, migraine emerged as the world’s third-highest cause of disability for those younger than 50. Roughly 4 million Americans are afflicted with a chronic, debilitating form of migraine disease, making it essential to find non-addictive pain medications.
A new coalition of migraine-related organizations encourages individuals to stand together on June 21, World Migraine Solidarity Day, by participating in the Shades For Migraine campaign. Offering an opportunity to wear a pair of sunglasses to visually demonstrate compassion for those who suffer from migraines, the Shades For Migraine campaign consolidates available migraine resources.
“Investment in migraine research has the potential to be the cornerstone of our national effort to advance neuroscience,” Godley said in the statement. He noted that this should also shed new light on other common, disabling diseases often associated with and probably functionally linked to migraine – including anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, colic, gastric and pelvic pains, sleep disorders, tinnitus and post-concussion headaches.
Nancy Kirsch is a PBN contributing writer.
