Introduction

Headache Essentials is a comprehensive educational program designed by the American Headache Society to equip clinicians with practical approaches to effectively diagnose and manage headache disorders. The course covers the full spectrum of headache medicine, from epidemiology and the neurobiological mechanisms of migraine to diagnosis and evidence-based acute and preventive treatment strategies. Modules go beyond the basics and include in-depth discussions of migraine in special populations (e.g., pediatrics, pregnancy, and lactation), the diagnosis and management of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, and the recognition of less common but critical secondary headaches that require urgent intervention. By the end of this course, participants will have a broad understanding of headache medicine and be prepared to assess common and complex headache presentations and deliver patient-centered, evidence-based headache care.