The Role of Lifestyle Factors in Migraine and How to Implement Behavioral Change: A Podcast with Elizabeth Seng

“There is a societal stigma that people with migraine caused their migraine, and that you’re responsible for it, and that you were the one who makes them happen. So we’re already getting this from society; we don’t need it from ourselves too. People with migraine have to cut themselves a break, and recognize that you’re extremely resilient dealing with this chronic, disabling neurologic condition.” –Elizabeth Seng

Editor’s note: Elizabeth Seng, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology at Yeshiva University in New York City, US. Seng, who is a clinical psychologist and researcher, broadly focuses her work on behavioral management of pain and headache disorders, particularly migraine. She is interested in the psychosocial factors associated with migraine attack onset, higher attack frequency, and migraine-related disability. She is also interested in improving acute medication adherence.

Elizabeth Seng

Seng recently co-authored a Lancet Neurology review article discussing the role of lifestyle factors in migraine and how behavioral change interventions can address them. In this MSC podcast, Seng speaks with Kayt Sukel, a freelance science writer based outside of Houston, Texas, to discuss some of those lifestyle factors, including stress, sleep, diet and physical activity, and the best way to implement behavioral change to improve migraine.

Listen to the podcast below, which is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Related reading:
Lifestyle factors and migraine.
Seng et al.
Lancet Neurol. 2022 Oct;21(10):911-21.

Kayt Sukel is a freelance writer based outside of Houston, Texas.