Understand your options
Treatments
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological options explained in plain language, and, for members, flagged to what you haven't yet tried.
Acute vs preventive
Headache treatment splits into two jobs: stopping an attack that has started (acute), and reducing how often attacks happen (preventive). Confusing the two is one of the most common reasons people feel stuck: taking more and more acute medication can itself drive chronic headache.
The pharmacological toolkit
The right option depends on your diagnosis, your other conditions and what you've already tried.
- Simple analgesics and anti-inflammatories: useful, but with a ceiling and an overuse risk
- Triptans and newer acute agents for migraine
- Preventive classes: including options developed specifically for migraine in recent years
- Condition-specific acute treatments for cluster headache
Beyond medication
Evidence supports a range of non-drug approaches, from neuromodulation to behavioural and lifestyle strategies. These aren't a consolation prize; for many people they are central to getting control back.
