TheraSpecs exhibited at the American Headache Society’s Headache Symposium in Scottsdale, AZ over the weekend. It was our fourth time at this particular conference and it showed. Almost everyone who visited our booth already knew about TheraSpecs and recommended our eyewear to patients. Many stopped by just to tell us how much TheraSpecs have helped their patients. Those who hadn't heard of us were excited to learn about drug-free options for their patients... and even for themselves! One doctor who has severe photophobia was thrilled to discover TheraSpecs for his own use.

Conference attendance continues to grow each year, which is great news for those of us with migraine and other headache disorders. It shows that more health care professionals are dedicating their careers to helping us find relief. There was a particularly strong showing of residents and fellows, and we also talked to a many people in pediatric headache medicine. Knowing that more people are training in headache medicine and seeing an increase in those focused on treating children and teenagers is heartening—we’re full of hope that the tides are turning in favor of improving the lives of people with headache disorders and migraine.

The official launch of the American Registry for Migraine Research was this year’s big announcement. The registry, which is funded through the American Migraine Foundation's 36 Million Migraine campaign, will store data and samples from four different areas: clinical, biological, genetic, and imaging. Researchers can then access this information and work with samples (including blood, saliva, spinal fluid, and brain tissue) to better understand the underlying biology and genetics of migraine and headache disorders, refine diagnostic criteria and develop tests for diagnosis, identify structural differences in the brains of people with different types of headache disorders, and, ultimately, develop effective treatments to provide relief for patients. We've written about the migraine patient registry and biorepository in the past and you can find a detailed explanation on the American Migraine Foundation’s website. We’re looking into how patients can participate in the registry and will let you know as soon as we hear.