The Three T’s of Therapy Regimens

Finding the right therapy regimen to help manage migraine disease can be quite a process for us. I’ve found that in my journey, there have been dozens upon dozens that have just not hit the mark. Some have even totally missed the target altogether. It can be frustrating. It can be depressing and leave us feeling deflated like a sad balloon after a party. Over time I’ve found that sticking to three simple steps helps me stay focused and not get discouraged as I try new therapy regimens.

These steps are:

• Try the therapy
• Track your results from the therapy
• Time length of therapy for efficacy

What should you know before trying new migraine treatments?

Finding a doctor you are comfortable and confident with is an important prerequisite to set you on the path to migraine therapies. Ideally, you want a specialist or doctor who has the training, knowledge, and experience to guide you along the treatment path effectively. I like to research possible therapies and then discuss them with my doctor. It gives you a good starting point to see if the therapy might be a good fit for you and your condition. You have to be willing to try the therapy. It sounds simple, but I’ve met so many people who are skeptical and resistant to trying something new. Yet another reason to research therapies yourself. It gives you an immediate active part in your treatment!

How should you track your results?

After starting a therapy regimen, I strongly recommend tracking your progress and results. It will be a powerful tool you can use at your follow-up visit with your doctor. If your doctor’s office has a patient portal available, this is also another great way to send them a quick snapshot of how you are doing. Track what you are experiencing with the therapy and how it impacts your life. It may be positive or negative. What’s important is that you document what is occurring. Many questions your doctor may have for you can be answered with thorough tracking. You can even give them a printout of your tracking journal if you want. They can even keep that as part of your file for future reference.

How long should you give a new treatment to work?

Time is the great equalizer. When trying a therapy regimen, give it time to show whether it will be helpful or not. So many people are looking for instant gratification these days. I get it. I want that too, but within reasonable parameters. Understand that some medication therapies can take several weeks to show efficacy. Some therapies, like abortive drugs, can work much faster, as in minutes or hours, but you still need to give them an appropriate time to do what they do. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, diet and lifestyle changes, and biofeedback all have variable times to prove efficacy. Be patient, be realistic, and be willing to put in the work to see if your therapy regimen will help you manage your migraine disease.

I hope these steps help you when trying a new therapy regimen. Feel free to add your experiences with trying new therapies in the comments!