Living with migraine can be lonely and exhausting. Before I began DWM, I rarely knew anyone who experienced migraine disease in the same capacity as me. Once I discovered the online migraine community though, I was welcomed with open arms. I’ve since built such kinship with countless amazing migraine advocates who have dedicated a large portion of their life to raising awareness and helping others living with migraine through their stories, favorite products, practical tips, recommended medical professionals, and words of encouragement – especially on the really bad days.
Below are some of my favorite migraine influencers that have absolutely changed my life while dealing with migraine. Read more about them, follow them, and lend them your support so they can continue doing the amazing work they do each day!
1. Marina | @parentingwithmigraine
ABOUT
Marina is a content creator and blogger for Parenting With Migraine. She is also an Attorney and a Social Media Strategist at Social With Marina. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children. When she is not working or being a migraine advocate, she enjoys gardening, listening to audiobooks, and spending time with her family.
REASONS TO FOLLOW
If you are a parent with migraine or wish you had an older sister to give you advice on how to manage living with migraine, Marina is the person to follow. She always finds room on her plate to give to others, creating extensive migraine awareness in the parenting community, delivering the most relatable posts, tips, and sharing lots of fun giveaways and resources. Marina is the ultimate connector, acting as a major anchoring in syncing together the migraine community as a whole. Thank you to Marina for keeping it real and dedicating your skills to teach others about the impact of migraine.
2. Winnielyn | @healing_w_chronicmigraine
ABOUT
Winnielyn works as a Physical Therapist Assistant, with experience mainly in the geriatric population and inpatient setting. She was formally diagnosed with chronic migraine in 2020. With a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology and as a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant, she did not learn in any of her programs how debilitating migraine disease is nor was it explained as a neurological disease.
She is currently looking for the best prevention and treatment plans for her chronic migraine and communicating with specialists. Winnielyn’s content focuses on healing in all aspects, sharing her personal experience with chronic migraine, and making IG reels to help engage and educate the general population.
REASONS TO FOLLOW
If you are looking for a warm voice and someone to vent your shared experience with migraine – Winnielyn is an advocate you should follow. As someone like her who works in the medical field, it’s really inspiring to see how she as someone with chronic migraine contributes to the field and handles long hours in an environment full of bright lights. She is regularly sharing her favorite products and suggestions to make living with migraine disease more doable. We are so happy to have Winn’s representation in the medical community!
3. Sarah | @themigrainephysio
ABOUT
Sarah is a physiotherapist living with chronic migraine in Alberta, Canada. She started having migraine attacks in 2015 and over the course of a few years her condition slowly progressed until she was having daily symptoms. Learning how to live and thrive with this condition is an ongoing process, but has thankfully come such a long way! Themigrainephysio is a place for her to share her migraine story, to connect with others living with migraine, and to provide everyday tips and tricks for you to live well with migraine.
REASONS TO FOLLOW
Again and again, Sarah shares tons of advice and practical tips not only for handling migraine disease but understanding all about it. Sarah has a fantastic knack for taking the complex mechanisms about migraine and simplifying them into posts that everyone can understand. Her tips and empowerment for dealing with migraine make me feel optimistic and heard each time I come across her feed.
4. Kelsey | @kelseysmigraine
ABOUT
Kelsey is a queer disabled patient advocate based out of the greater Los Angeles area. They have chronic migraine, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, hypermobility syndrome, and other chronic conditions. They hold a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Diversity and Social Inequality. Kelsey has had migraine since 2012 and became chronic in 2021. Kelsey has been a patient advocate since September 2021 and works to become a better advocate everyday.
REASONS TO FOLLOW
I have been so floored by Kelsey’s page from the moment I found their page. Kelsey is constantly coming up with the most informative and digestible posts. I am constantly learning something new on their page, including so many opportunities for folks with migraine and other chronic illnesses like participating in research. In addition to migraine, Kelsey campaigns for multiple underrepresented communities making them a true superhero for us all.
5. Alicia | @thedizzycook
ABOUT
Alicia Wolf is the owner of The Dizzy Cook, a diet and lifestyle website for anyone with migraine, and an ambassador for the Vestibular Disorder Association. After struggling with chronic vestibular migraine, she realized there weren’t many upbeat resources for people following a migraine diet, so she created thedizzycook.com. It’s a resource with tons of great recipes the whole family will love, as well as tips for navigating life as a vestibular migraine patient. Her bestselling cookbook “The Dizzy Cook: Managing Migraine with More Than 90 Comforting Recipes and Lifestyle Tips” is available almost everywhere books are sold. And her new cookbook, The Mediterranean Migraine Diet, partners with neurologist and vestibular expert, Dr. Shin Beh, on how to incorporate optimal foods for brain health.
REASONS TO FOLLOW
I was over the moon when I first found The Dizzy Cook, so much so it was a huge inspiration behind creating Dealing With Migraine! I fell in love with Alicia’s well written, endless content and information about all things migraine. Her delicious, mouth watering recipes make living with migraine feel full of options as opposed to a long list of don’ts us patients are so used to hearing. The Dizzy Cook is so well organized and in depth, that I consider it my treasure chest of info and constantly revert back to it whenever I am in need of tips or explanations for handling my migraine disease. Alicia’s warm, down to earth demeanor shines through videos and posts offering followers the authenticity and honesty we know we can trust.
6. Jaime | @migrainediva
ABOUT
Jaime Sanders is the author of the award-winning blog The Migraine Diva. She is a participant with the Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients, with whom she worked to create an Issue Brief on Disparities in Headache and is a part of the leadership of the Disparities in Headache Advisory Council (DiHAC). Jaime is a stakeholder with the Headache and Migraine Policy Forum, works with the Society for Women’s Health Research Interdisciplinary Migraine Network, sits on the Patient Leadership Council with the National Headache Foundation, and serves on HealthyWomen’s Chronic Pain Advisory Council. She has lived with migraine since the age of two and has been chronic and intractable for the last fifteen years. Through her advocacy work and blog, Jaime’s mission is to make a very invisible disease visible to the rest of the world and validate the real pain of millions.
REASONS TO FOLLOW
Jaime is such an asset to the migraine community as leader. For years she has been tirelessly advocating for migraine and educating as many as possible on the topic! I love how genuine and honest Jaime is, sharing the experiences of living with migraine that many don’t see or even think of. Whether she is creating content on different migraine products, raising awareness on the disparities within the migraine community, or speaking about life with migraine on panel after panel, there is no doubt how much awareness and knowledge Jaime has single handedly spread.
7. Susannah | @headachenutritionist
ABOUT
Susannah Juteau, MSc, CLT, RD, is a registered dietitian who specializes in headache and migraine nutrition for women. She discovered a medication-free solution to chronic headaches after suffering for 5 years from constant, debilitating headaches and migraine attacks. After focusing on improving and repairing her gut along with allowing gut rest, she was able to get off all meds, gain control over her headaches, and has now been migraine free for 3+ years.
Now, she’s taken the same Gut Repair Protocol that helped her reverse her own chronic headaches and personalizes it for each of her clients. When she’s not helping clients discover a natural approach to headache relief, you can find Susannah traveling to South-East Asia, playing ice hockey (it’s in her Canadian roots), and competing in geeky board game nights with her husband and two young girls.
REASONS TO FOLLOW
In discovering Susannah’s page a few months ago, I have learned (and remembered) SUCH amazing insight and interesting facts about nutrition and migraine. I love Susannah’s non-judgemental, here to help, happy to share attitude on what has helped her and so many of her clients on their journeys dealing with headaches and migraine attacks. She has found so many ways to introduce healthy eating and fantastic food options to better manage living with migraine. Susannah’s wholesome personality shines through all her posts, motivating many to experiment with new foods and supplements, embracing where each person is on their migraine journey.
8. Michele | @themigrainenurse
ABOUT
Michele is The Migraine Nurse. She had her first migraine at 12 years old and has suffered from chronic migraine for over 10 years. After failing every medication and treatment option available to her and being told “there is no way your head can hurt this much,” she felt so lost, alone, and depressed. So, Michele took her migraine care into my own hands. She began to educate herself on ALL things migraine, made sustainable lifestyle and diet changes, and found a doctor that actually cared. Now, she enjoys helping others have more migraine FREE days!
REASONS TO FOLLOW
We are very lucky to have Michele in our corner! Her medical background makes her the empowering, patient advocate we all need. An incredibly hard worker, Michele is always listening and creating content for her followers – sharing the many aspects of having migraine disease in countless, easy to digest videos. She finds fantastic products and ideas to share with the migraine community and consistently catches ways to give back with giveaways and migraine management plans. Michele’s content is relatable and entertaining, spreading her infectious personality and knowledge with the masses.
9. Amy | @the_migraine_life
ABOUT
Amy is a chronic migraine patient and passionate migraine advocate from the UK. She runs @the_migraine_life on Instagram, an online community that offers support, discussion and even some light-hearted humor to people battling migraine across the globe.
REASONS TO FOLLOW
Amy has done an amazing job at raising awareness for migraine and what it is like to live with chronic migraine. Whether it be via interviews, hilarious shorts, and a plethora of resources, she boasts new perspectives and challenges to brainstorm with us all. Amy’s posts do a lot, but they especially help to speak to the feelings and experiences we all share, and most notably – that we never have to feel alone with migraine.
10. Shruti | @chronicallymeh
ABOUT
Shruti is a migraine and mental health awareness advocate who creates relatable and honest illustrations on life with chronic and mental illness. She created the Instagram page @chronicallymeh as a way to share her own journey and truth of living with chronic and mental illness. Her page has touched many as she demonstrates how we can truly live and not just survive and get by.
REASONS TO FOLLOW
Shruti is a shining advocate. She gives and gives through countless channels, sharing her vulnerable and honest experiences living with migraine. A wildly talented artist, Shruti makes the most creative graphics and viral posts explaining and providing an outlet for all things migraine. Many folks come to her page, leaving with the words to explain how they truly feel dealing with migraine, for the very first time. However, what makes folks stay is Shruti. Her support, advocacy, and motivation make her page magnetic.
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