What to Expect at Your First Appointment with the Headache Center

If your child suffers from migraines or tension headaches, their pain affects your entire family. The Headache Center at Cincinnati Children’s is here to help. We are a national leader in diagnosing and treating headache disorders in children and adolescents. 

Making an Appointment

We recommend you get a referral from your primary care provider before your first visit, but it is not required. For appointments, referrals and general information about the Headache Center, contact us.

Before Your Appointment

After you schedule your first appointment, we will email you an information packet containing a detailed questionnaire to be filled out electronically. Please review and complete the intake questionnaire before your first appointment. It is an important part of your evaluation and you will have the opportunity to review it completely with the headache specialist at your visit. Please make sure to complete the form as best you can.

If you do not receive the questionnaire, please call the office to update your email address.

If you need to cancel your appointment, please do so as soon as possible so we can offer that time to another patient.

Cancellations within 24 hours of your first appointment will be considered a no-show and will require a new referral before you can schedule another appointment. If you cannot make it to your appointment or have an urgent need, please contact us and ask for the Headache Center coordinator or nurse.

On the Day of Your Appointment

Arriving at Your Appointment 

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to allow time for registration. If you have not had the chance to fill out your questionnaire, make sure to arrive at the registration desk 30 minutes before your appointment time to do so. Otherwise, your appointment will be delayed.

Because we offer appointments at several locations, we recommend confirming your location ahead of time to allow extra time to find parking.  

Please bring these items to your first visit:

• Your child’s insurance card and identification
• Results of previous studies
• Written list of questions for your care team

During Your Appointment

During your first appointment with the multidisciplinary headache clinic, a board-certified child neurologist / headache specialist, a pediatric psychologist / pediatric behavioral medicine doctor, and a nurse educator will evaluate your child.

If you decide to schedule with the headache specialists during their regular headache clinic, a psychologist / behavioral medicine doctor will not be available.

The evaluation will include:

• A review of the completed questionnaires
• A discussion of your child’s headache history, including family history
• A complete neurological and comprehensive headache exam
• An evaluation of your child’s pain-related coping levels
• An assessment of your child’s overall emotional adjustment
• A review of possible barriers to treatment

After your child’s evaluation, your care team will work with your family to develop an individualized treatment plan. Your care team may also order additional studies, such as lab work, medical imaging, or referrals to other specialists if needed. For example, your child may need to learn computer-assisted biofeedback relaxation techniques for headache management, or we may recommend your child attend cognitive behavioral therapy to learn pain management skills.

The Cincinnati Children's Hospital Headache Center is part of a large academic institution where clinical studies occur. The headache center is involved in multiple breakthrough research studies in pediatric migraines, with the goal of improving the outcomes of children with headaches. During your visit, your doctor will discuss some of the studies that may best suit you, or you can bring up your interest in new therapies being studied at that time.

A licensed social worker is also available to provide support with school and psychosocial concerns related to headaches.

Before finalizing the care plan, a registered nurse experienced in pediatric and young adult headache treatment will offer education on headache conditions and care at the end of the visit.

We will also provide educational material and treatment plans for the school, as well as headache accommodation if needed. The school letters will emphasize the diagnosis and the need for treatment to prevent your child from missing any school.

After Your Appointment

If you need follow-up visits at the Headache Center, you will see a nurse practitioner with expertise in headache management.

We will continue to treat your child until the headaches are controlled and no longer causing any disability. Good headache control is generally defined as four or fewer headaches a month with a short duration and minimal interruption to your child’s daily routine. You should expect a follow-up visit every 6-8 weeks until your child achieves this level of headache control. There is no available cure for migraine headaches, but the disorder can be controlled if treated early and appropriately.

We will send your primary care provider a detailed letter describing our treatment recommendations after each visit with us.

After your child completes therapy and the headaches are under control, our team will remain available to you as needed.