American Headache Society Committee for Headache Education: ACHE

摘要

The history of patient organizations may be traced back to late medieval and early modern guilds, trade unions, and religious groups as well as welfare and worker's compensation groups in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. By 1800, as many as 200 'friendly societies' were founded in England. Early twentieth century examples had their roots in voluntary organizations advocating a cause rather than an individual. Examples include the American Cancer Society originally founded as the American Society for the Control of Cancer in 1913 and the March of Dimes founded as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis in 1938. The British Migraine Association was founded in 1958. There has been an historic need for patient organizations targeting headache, based on insufficient and inaccurate information, multiple myths and misconceptions, and limited awareness of treatment options. Popular myths over the years have included, 'headaches are all in your head', sinus headaches are a major factor, migraine is just another work for 'headache,' and the most destructive, 'You have to learn to live with them!' Given consistent data from American migraine studies in regard to low rates of patient consultation, poor recognition rates from providers on a background of high prevalence, major impact on quality of life, and role functioning, sufferers and their families have had to resort to seeking information on their own in their search for relief for what for many may be a devastating disorder. The World Health Organization (WHO) places headache in the top 20 leading causes of disability worldwide.