13th January 2012

Ask for Evidence

At The Migraine Trust we often see claims and statements about migraine and migraine 'treatments' or 'cures' that sound too good to be true and aren't backed up with evidence. Often evidence just doesn't exist or is limited.

A key objective of The Migraine Trust is to promote migraine research and to disseminate the useful results of such research.  The plethora of misinformation circulating about migraine may play on the vulnerability of migraine sufferers desperate to tackle this debilitating condition.  We hope that by focusing on evidence based information we can help to make life just that little bit easier for sufferers.

The Migraine Trust is therefore backing Ask for Evidence a national campaign launched by the science education charity Sense About Science. 

The campaign encourages consumers, voters and patients to demand evidence for scientific and medical claims.

Wendy Thomas, chief executive of The Migraine Trust, said:

"Considering how many people (1 in 7) are affected by migraine, there is a real lack of understanding and so many myths about the condition.  The World Health Organisation recognises migraine as being among the most disabling lifetime conditions, so it's vital that information about migraine is based on the best available evidence to help people manage their condition and improve their quality of life."

You don't need to be an expert to ask for evidence - anyone can ask questions and this campaign encourages us to do just that.  Visit the Sense About Science website to read some advice on how to ask for evidence or send off a postcard to request evidence.