Who is this site for?

This blog is for anyone who suffers from headaches or who knows someone who suffers from headaches.

(so basically, it’s for everyone). 

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It is also for healthcare providers who care for patients with headaches and are looking for some easily digestible clinical pearls and commentary on management practices, treatments, and helpful resources.    

My name is Christie Tait. I’m a Nurse Practitioner in Toronto who specializes in headache management.   I love this work for so many reasons. I have the privilege of being part of a process that reduces the invisible suffering experienced by those with frequent headache or migraine attacks.   As a result, I witness the transformation that goes along with better pain control.  These individuals often revisit their passions, goals, and dreams. I am grateful that I can play a role in the improved quality of life that accompanies this.  

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For you primary care providers out there - headaches are tough to manage.  It is not so much the process of arriving at a primary headache diagnosis, it’s the time it takes to elicit an accurate headache history and comprehensive management plan. It’s the time it takes to understand the myriad of lifestyle behaviours that could be contributing to these headaches, to educate on these behaviours, to convey the importance of stress reduction and then advise on how this can be done, to understand over-the-counter medication usage patterns, to recommend nutraceuticals, to establish an effective acute treatment plan, to provide information on possible prophylaxis medications, select one, and counsel on potential side effects. It is all of these things.  

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If there is one important thing I’ve learned about these patients, it’s this:

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If their headaches are significant enough to warrant mention in your clinic, there is probably a bigger story about the impact these headaches are having on their life. Encourage an appointment dedicated to discussing their headache or consider an earlier referral to a headache specialist. It could have a profound impact on their life. 

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Christie Tait obtained a Bachelor of Biological Science from the University of Guelph, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Toronto, and her Master of Nursing and Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate from Ryerson University.

Christie is the Founder and Director of Structure Clinic Headache and Wellness Centre in Toronto.  She offers private consultati0ns to headache sufferers and can help to clarify diagnosis, prescribe appropriate medicati0ns, and optimize lifestyle and non-medication based strategies to manage headache and migraine. 

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Christie is also a Clinician at the Toronto Headache and Pain Clinic and delivers educational programming to healthcare providers with an interest in headache and migraine management.