International Association for the Study of Pain

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the 2011-2012 Global Year Against Headache campaign, which will launch on Monday, October 17, 2011. This year, the IASP-sponsored initiative will draw attention to one of the most common, painful, and disabling conditions that affect people throughout their lives: the headache. We are proud to work this year with the International Headache Society, whose members collaborated with ours to write fact sheets on different headache types and classifications, the epidemiology of headache, and approaches to study and treatment. They are available free in the five WHO languages on the IASP website. We hope you will join the campaign by:

Disseminating information on headache throughout the world.
Educating not only pain researchers and clinicians within the 130+ countries that comprise the IASP membership, but also the larger global community of health care professionals who witness the problems associated with headache firsthand in their daily interactions with patients.
Increasing awareness of headache among government officials, media, and the general public worldwide.
Encouraging government leaders, research institutions, and other key decision-makers to support more research, ultimately producing more effective and accessible treatment methods and outcomes for people with headache.

Throughout the campaign, which will run through late October 2012, IASP members and chapters will organize meetings, symposia, patient-education events, publications, and many other efforts exploring different aspects of the headache. In addition, IASP and its chapters will sponsor media efforts highlighting some of the challenges posed by headache (such as the latest research techniques on headache, ways to address various types of headache pain, and genetic factors leading to headache). Those efforts will be posted on these pages.

I encourage you to get involved in any such activities planned in your area. Whether you help to plan and organize an event, deliver a talk related to acute pain, or attend a meeting to show your support, your participation is essential to the success of the Global Year Against Headache. Please contact your local IASP chapter, or the IASP secretariat office at IASPdesk@iasp-pain.org, for more information.

Be sure to visit these Global Year web pages regularly, where you will find a series of fact sheets focusing on many topics and issues surrounding headache – furnished in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, as well as other languages to come. The fact sheets, campaign posters, logos, and other resources are available on the website to all at no cost. You can also complete the online form to request Global Year Updates (via email) with the latest news and campaign resources.

By supporting the Global Year and becoming actively involved, we can do much to minimize the pain and suffering from headache, one of the most frequent of medical complaints seen in general practice. IASP would also like to learn about success stories where chapters or hospitals have made special efforts and improved the management of headache. We will share your stories and photos on the website and through the IASP e-Newsletter.

We look forward to a successful Global Year!

Kind Regards,
Kalso Signature
Eija Kalso
IASP President

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Why Headache?

Headache disorders are the most prevalent of the neurological conditions and among the most frequent of medical complaints seen in general practice. They take many forms, including migraine, tension-type headache, trigemino-autonomic cephalalgia (cluster headache), primary stabbing headache, primary sex headache, or rarer conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia or persistent idiopathic facial pain. Half of the general population experience headache during any given year, and more than 90% report a lifetime history of head pain. The most severely disabled 3% experience a headache such as chronic migraine and chronic tension-type headache at least 15 days per month. Headache disorders contribute to a considerable loss of work time and productivity.

If you would like to volunteer to translate Global Year materials or if you are organizing an event focused on Headache and would like to include it on our website, please contact IASPdesk@iasp-pain.org.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the Global Year Against Headache Task Force co-chairs, Peter Goadsby (USA), Arne May (Germany), and Jean Schoenen (Belgium).

IASP would also like to thank the following authors for their work on the fact sheets:

IASP members Messoud Ashina (Denmark), Stefan Evers (Germany), and Till Sprenger (Switzerland); and IHS members Gregor Brössner (Austria), Charly Gaul (Germany), Tim Jürgens (Germany), Zaza Katsarava (Germany), Anne MacGregor (UK), Delphine Magis (Belgium), and Arn van den Maagdenberg (Netherlands).

Letter from the IASP President

Why Headache?

Acknowledgements