Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
"Headache is just a teeny piece of the puzzle," says Dr. Regina Krel, an insight that’s at the heart of why migraine syndrome, one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, remains so persistently misunderstood. In this informative conversation with Raise the Line from Elsevier host Michael Carrese, Dr. Krel, the director of Headache Medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center, explains migraine as a storm that sensitizes the entire brain, not just the site of the headache, which explains the long list of symptoms people experience including sensitivity to light and sound, brain fog, fatigue and problems with balance. “The headaches can be severe, but it’s the other symptoms that really kind of take over your whole body that make patients dysfunctional.” Dr. Krel also explains why migraine disproportionately impacts women in the prime of their working and caregiving years, and offers guidance for treating migraines in women, whose symptoms are commonly dismissed by non-specialists.
Stay tuned to also learn about:
• The "migraine triangle";
• Why stigma around migraine persists even in doctors' offices;
• New treatment options including neuromodulation devices.
Mentioned in this episode:
Headache Center at Hackensack University Medical Center (hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/locations/humc-headache-medicine-program)
If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at osmosis.org/podcast
"Headache is just a teeny piece of the puzzle," says Dr. Regina Krel, an insight that’s at the heart of why migraine syndrome, one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, remains so persistently misunderstood. In this informative conversation with Raise the Line from Elsevier host Michael Carrese, Dr. Krel, the director of Headache Medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center, explains migraine as a storm that sensitizes the entire brain, not just the site of the headache, which explains the long list of symptoms people experience including sensitivity to light and sound, brain fog, fatigue and problems with balance. “The headaches can be severe, but it’s the other symptoms that really kind of take over your whole body that make patients dysfunctional.” Dr. Krel also explains why migraine disproportionately impacts women in the prime of their working and caregiving years, and offers guidance for treating migraines in women, whose symptoms are commonly dismissed by non-specialists.
Stay tuned to also learn about:
• The "migraine triangle";
• Why stigma around migraine persists even in doctors' offices;
• New treatment options including neuromodulation devices.
Mentioned in this episode:
Headache Center at Hackensack University Medical Center (hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/locations/humc-headache-medicine-program)
If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at osmosis.org/podcast
