Medicines treat the attack. This programme treats everything around it — triggers, sleep, meals, stress reactivity and the anticipatory anxiety that makes attacks worse. Eight weeks with a clinical psychologist, working alongside a neurologist for diagnosis and the right acute and preventive medicines — by video, from home.
📅 8 weeks · 🩺 5 one-to-one sessions · 👩⚕️ Clinical psychologist · 🔒 Private · Check your migraine disability score
🎯 Find your match
Matched to the clinician for exactly what you're dealing with — and your booking is pre-filled.
Not sure where to start? A care coordinator will tell you honestly — sometimes a single session is the better first step.
👩⚕️ Your care team
Verified · Qualified · Practising. NMC-registered doctors and RCI-licensed psychologists on one shared record.
🏷️ Transparent pricing
Join the full 8-week programme, or start with a single consultation.
Quick overview
Most asked question
Yes. Migraine is neurological, but how often attacks happen and how much they disrupt life are shaped by sleep, meals, stress and fear. Relaxation training, biofeedback and cognitive behavioural therapy are evidence-based ways to reduce attack frequency and disability, and work best alongside medicines — not instead of them.
That's why the programme runs with your neurologist in the loop: your long-term plan is shared with your doctor at the end.
📘 Quick guide
Migraine is a common neurological condition causing repeated attacks of moderate to severe headache, usually throbbing and often on one side, lasting 4 to 72 hours. Attacks commonly come with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. About a third of people also get aura — visual zigzags, blind spots or tingling — before the headache.
Migraine is not "just a headache". It is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, especially for women in their working years.
Last reviewed October 2026 · Sources listed under Medical references.
🧭 Stages
A migraine is more than the headache. Many attacks move through four phases — though not everyone has all four, every time. Spotting the early phase lets you treat sooner, when medicines work best.
🧬 Types
Getting the type right changes the treatment. These follow the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3).
Fewer than 15 headache days a month — the most common pattern.
ICD-10: G43.0
15+ headache days a month for 3+ months, at least 8 with migraine features.
ICD-10: G43.7
Visual or sensory symptoms before or with the headache.
ICD-10: G43.1
Attacks clustered around the start of periods.
ICD-10: G43.8
Episodes of vertigo or dizziness linked to migraine.
ICD-10: G43.8
Daily headaches driven by frequent painkiller use.
ICD-10: G44.4
Band-like, pressing pain without nausea — often mixed with migraine.
ICD-10: G44.2
Severe one-sided pain around the eye in bouts — needs a neurologist.
ICD-10: G44.0
Temporary vision loss in one eye — needs an eye and neurology check.
ICD-10: G43.8
Aura and other symptoms without the headache — more common with age.
ICD-10: G43.1
Temporary one-sided weakness during aura — rare, needs a neurologist.
ICD-10: G43.1
Recurrent tummy pain with nausea in children.
ICD-10: G43.D
🧬 Causes & risk factors
Migraine is a genetic neurological condition. A sensitive brain reacts to internal and external changes by activating the trigeminal nerve system and releasing pain-signalling chemicals such as CGRP — which is why newer medicines target CGRP.
🩺 Headache decoder
| What it feels like | Likely type | What a neurologist does |
|---|---|---|
| Throbbing, one-sided headache with nausea and light sensitivity, lasting hours | Migraine without aura | Confirm diagnosis, acute plan (painkiller or triptan early in the attack), prevention if frequent |
| Zigzag lights, blind spots or tingling before the headache | Migraine with aura | Confirm it's typical aura, review contraception and stroke risk factors, acute and preventive plan |
| Band-like pressure on both sides, no nausea | Tension-type headache | Posture, stress and sleep work; avoid overusing painkillers |
| Headache most days, painkillers on most days | Medication-overuse headache on top of migraine | Supervised reduction of painkillers while starting a preventive |
| Attacks around periods | Menstrual migraine | Timing-based plan around the cycle; hormone-aware prescribing |
| Dizziness or vertigo episodes with migraine history | Vestibular migraine | Neurologist review; balance and migraine prevention |
| 🚨 Sudden 'worst-ever' headache, or headache with weakness, confusion, fever and stiff neck, or after injury | Possible brain bleed, stroke or infection | Emergency — call 108 now |
Educational only — not a diagnosis. Talk to a neurologist
🔎 Diagnosis
Most people with typical migraine and a normal examination do not need an MRI or CT. Scans are used when there are red flags: a sudden or "worst-ever" headache, a changed pattern, nerve symptoms, headache starting after 50, or symptoms that don't fit migraine.
🧮 Free tools
The MIDAS score measures how many days migraine takes from work, home and social life over 3 months. The overuse check flags whether painkillers might be keeping headaches going. Both are screening guides, not diagnoses.
Think about the last 3 months. Enter 0 if none.
MIDAS: Stewart et al., Neurology 2001. Grade I 0–5 · II 6–10 · III 11–20 · IV 21+.
In a typical month over the last 3 months:
Thresholds from ICHD-3 (2018). Never stop prescribed medicines suddenly without advice.
A neurologist confirms the diagnosis, checks for medication overuse and decides whether you need prevention.
💊 Medicines
A reference for the medicines doctors in India commonly use. Every medicine here needs a prescription and a doctor's judgement about your other conditions, pregnancy plans and other medicines.
| Medicine class | Examples | Used for | Key cautions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple painkillers & NSAIDs | Paracetamol, ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin | Mild–moderate attacks, taken early | Limit to under 15 days a month; NSAIDs can upset the stomach and kidneys |
| Triptans | Sumatriptan, rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, naratriptan | Moderate–severe attacks | Limit to under 10 days a month; not for people with heart disease, stroke or uncontrolled BP |
| Anti-sickness medicines | Domperidone, metoclopramide, prochlorperazine | Nausea and vomiting; help other medicines absorb | Short-term use only; doctor advises the dose |
| Newer acute options | Gepants (e.g. rimegepant), ditans (lasmiditan) | When triptans fail or aren't suitable | Availability and cost vary in India |
| Beta-blockers | Propranolol, metoprolol | Prevention | Avoid in asthma; can cause tiredness and cold hands |
| Antidepressants | Amitriptyline, nortriptyline | Prevention — especially with poor sleep or tension-type headache | Drowsiness, dry mouth, weight gain |
| Calcium-channel blocker | Flunarizine (widely used in India) | Prevention | Drowsiness, weight gain, low mood — avoid with depression |
| Anti-seizure medicines | Topiramate, sodium valproate | Prevention | Valproate must be avoided in women who could become pregnant; topiramate needs contraception advice |
| CGRP-targeting medicines | Erenumab, fremanezumab, galcanezumab; atogepant | Prevention when others fail | Monthly or quarterly injections, or a daily tablet; not in pregnancy |
| Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) | Injections every 12 weeks | Chronic migraine only | Given by a trained specialist |
Never start, stop or combine migraine medicines on your own. Preventives usually take 6–8 weeks to show their effect.
💊 Treatment
Taken early in an attack: painkillers or anti-inflammatories, triptans, and anti-sickness medicines — chosen and limited by your neurologist to avoid overuse.
For frequent or disabling attacks: daily preventives, and newer options such as CGRP-targeting medicines or Botox for chronic migraine where suitable.
Relaxation training, biofeedback and CBT — the core of the 8-week programme, and recommended alongside medicines.
Regular sleep, regular meals, hydration, steady caffeine, gentle exercise and a diary — small, steady, and evidence-based.
Medicines are prescribed only by a doctor after assessment. Never start, stop or combine migraine medicines without advice.
During an attack
If an attack lasts more than 72 hours, or feels different from your usual attacks, get medical help.
Yoga, supplements & complementary care
🎯 What changes
Real patterns, not myths — including early warning signs that look like triggers.
The two most reliable levers for a brain that dislikes change.
Applied relaxation that lowers stress reactivity, done properly.
A plan for during an attack, and fewer things avoided in between.
Who it's for: people with diagnosed migraine who want the non-drug half of the treatment. Not diagnosed yet? .
🗓️ The plan
Attacks, sleep, meals, stress — for a week.
This week: Fill it daily.
Your psychologist reads the diary for patterns.
This week: One regularity.
The two most reliable levers.
This week: Hold both.
Applied relaxation, done properly.
This week: Daily practice.
Reacting less to the things you cannot remove.
This week: One change.
Session four: a plan for during.
This week: Use it once.
Reducing anticipatory fear.
This week: Do one avoided thing.
Session five: the long plan, shared with your doctor.
This week: Write it.
🔍 Triggers
Some "triggers" are really early signs of an attack already starting — craving chocolate, yawning, light sensitivity. A diary separates the two, so you don't give up things you don't need to.
🌸 Women & migraine
Migraine is about three times more common in women, and hormones shape it at every stage.
Attacks around the start of periods are often longer. A timing-based plan around your cycle can help.
If you have migraine with aura, combined hormonal contraceptives raise stroke risk. Ask a doctor before starting or continuing them.
Many women get fewer attacks in pregnancy, but medicine choices change. Plan with your doctor; behavioural treatment is safe throughout.
🧒 Children & teens
Children's attacks can last as little as 2 hours, often affect both sides of the head, and may look like tiredness, paleness or crankiness.
Repeated tummy pain with nausea and no headache — often in children who later develop typical migraine.
Irregular sleep, skipped breakfast, dehydration and exam stress are common triggers. See a paediatrician, and use our child psychologists for stress.
❓ Myths vs facts
Fact: Migraine is a neurological condition with a whole-body attack — nausea, sensory sensitivity, aura and a postdrome — and is the second leading cause of disability worldwide.
Fact: Many people with recurring 'sinus headaches' — with a blocked nose or watery eyes — actually have migraine. True sinus infection usually comes with fever and thick discharge.
Fact: Taking them on 15+ days a month can cause medication-overuse headache and make headaches more frequent.
Fact: It is three times more common in women, but men and children get it too.
Fact: Typical migraine with a normal examination rarely needs an MRI or CT. Scans are for red flags.
Fact: There's no cure, but the right acute plan, prevention and behavioural treatment cut attacks and disability for most people.
🤝 One programme, one team
Migraine sits between neurology and behaviour. Your clinicians work on one shared record, and your long-term plan is shared with your doctor.
Diagnosis, red-flag checks, acute and preventive medicines, medication-overuse plans.
Diary, relaxation, stress reactivity, attack plan and anticipatory fear.
BP, blood tests and day-to-day health on one record.
Meal timing, hydration, caffeine and food-trigger review.
Menstrual migraine, contraception with aura, pregnancy planning.
Visual symptoms that need an eye check to rule out other causes.
Neck pain and posture that feed into headaches.
Breathing and gentle yoga to support relaxation practice.
Free on the programme for the days in between — backed by your clinicians.
Core teamJoins when your health needs it
💻 Simple process
They confirm the fit — and tell you if a single session is the better start.
A clinician matched to what you're working on and when you're free. Switch after session one if you want.
A week of attacks, sleep, meals and stress before your first session.
50 minutes each by video or audio, with one practice a week between them.
Written in week 8 and shared with your doctor, so the gains last.
📋 Treatment protocols
Goal: Fast, reliable relief without overuse
Goal: Fewer migraine days and lower disability
Goal: Back to episodic headaches
Goal: Fewer attacks, and less fear between them
Five sessions, one practice a week, and support between sessions — your long plan shared with your doctor.
🏆 How we compare
| Feature | Headache app | Single clinic visit | HopeQure programme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neurologist for diagnosis and medicines | Rarely | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clinical psychologist for triggers, stress and fear | Rarely | Rarely | ✓ 5 sessions |
| Structured week-by-week plan | Sometimes | No | ✓ |
| Medication-overuse check | No | Sometimes | ✓ |
| Red-flag screening | No | ✓ | ✓ |
| Support between sessions | App only | No | ✓ Messaging + Asha |
| Women's hormone-aware advice | Rarely | Sometimes | ✓ |
| Plan shared with your doctor | No | — | ✓ |
General comparison of care types, not of any named provider.
📱 HopeQure App
Download the HopeQure app to book confidentially, message your care team and keep your diary, worksheets, plan and prescriptions in one place.
💬 FAQs
Our care team is available 7 days a week. Get answers quickly.
🇮🇳 हिंदी में
माइग्रेन एक न्यूरोलॉजिकल (दिमाग़ से जुड़ी) स्थिति है, जिसमें बार-बार तेज़, धड़कता हुआ सिरदर्द होता है — अक्सर सिर के एक तरफ़। इसके साथ जी मिचलाना, उल्टी, और रोशनी व आवाज़ से परेशानी होती है। एक दौरा 4 से 72 घंटे तक चल सकता है।
इलाज दो हिस्सों में होता है: न्यूरोलॉजिस्ट दवाइयाँ तय करते हैं — दौरे के समय की दवा और बचाव की दवा। साथ ही HopeQure का 8-सप्ताह का कार्यक्रम क्लिनिकल साइकोलॉजिस्ट के साथ ट्रिगर डायरी, नींद, भोजन, तनाव और अगले दौरे के डर पर काम करता है — 5 व्यक्तिगत सत्र, हिंदी या अंग्रेज़ी में।
तुरंत 108 पर कॉल करें अगर अचानक बहुत तेज़ सिरदर्द हो, कमज़ोरी, बोलने में दिक़्क़त, बुख़ार के साथ गर्दन में अकड़न, या सिर में चोट के बाद सिरदर्द हो।
✔ Medical review
Clinical statements on this page are reviewed against ICHD-3, American Headache Society and European Headache Federation guidance by the HopeQure Medical Advisory Board.
Reviewed at least every 6 months, and whenever a major guideline changes. No pharmaceutical sponsorship, no affiliate links; corrections are logged.
📖 References
Ready when you are
A clinical psychologist for the behavioural half, a neurologist for the medical half, one shared plan. 8-week programme ₹28,000 · single consultations from ₹900
