Embedded Files
For clinicians
For clinicians
Headache disorders are among the most common neurological presentations across primary care, neurology, and emergency medicine — yet they remain under-recognized, misdiagnosed, and undertreated.
The Ottawa Headache Centre provides subspecialty, evidence-based headache medicine support for clinicians managing patients with migraine, cluster headache, and other primary and secondary headache disorders. Our focus is on accurate diagnosis, guideline-aligned treatment, and practical clinical decision-making across outpatient and acute care settings.
This section is designed as a clinician-facing hub to support assessment, referral, and management of headache disorders.
Who this is for
Who this is for
This resource is intended for:
Family physicians
Nurse practitioners
Emergency physicians
Neurologists and other specialists
Residents, fellows, and medical learners
Whether you are managing headache in the community, arranging a consultation from the emergency department, or seeking decision support for complex or refractory cases, the goal is to provide clear, clinically useful guidance.
We accept referrals for any headache disorder (fax: 1.613.562.6384).
We will not decline referrals.
Find out more about our referral process, programs, and optional forms.
Clinical support resources designed to assist clinicians with:
Migraine acute medications
Triptan selection and dosing
Migraine preventives
ED-focused guidance on:
Initial assessment and red flags
Conducting a headache examination
Thunderclap headache and secondary causes
Imaging decision-making
Evidence-based acute migraine treatment
Disposition and outpatient follow-up considerations
For patients requiring urgent outpatient consultation after an emergency visit, this program was co-designed and is co-run by neurologists and emergency physicians.
Our pathway provides early specialist assessment, targeted investigations when needed, treatment optimization, and a clear care plan to prevent recurrence and reduce future ED visits.
Our approach
Our approach
Ottawa Headache Centre practices subspecialty headache medicine grounded in:
Diagnostic rigor using established headache classification systems (i.e., the ICHD-3)
Guideline-aligned pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management
Judicious and ethical use of procedures and advanced therapies, in line with the Canadian Headache Society position statement. We provide comprehensive headache medicine care rather than indiscriminate Botox® and nerve blocks.
Advancing headache medicine education and research
Our aim is not only to see patients, but to support clinicians in delivering confident, high-quality headache care.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse