The Online Headache Education Program is an eight session interactive, online program designed for individuals who are experiencing chronic headaches and looking for additional tools to manage headache triggers and pain. If you suffer from frequent headaches that affect your daily activities, your social life and your emotional well-being, our program offers you a unique interdisciplinary approach that helps you understand and better manage your headaches.

Individuals best suited for the Online Headache Education Program are those with:

  • Chronic headaches occurring several days a week.
  • Headaches that are causing significant stress for both the individual and their family.
  • Those who may not be able to commit the time or afford the cost of extended inpatient/outpatient headache programs.
  • Anyone who wants to learn more about their headaches.

Over the course of eight interactive online visits, the program coach, Jena Gustafson, PA-C in Cleveland Clinic's Section of Headache and Facial Pain, meets virtually over a live connection with each individual, providing recommendations and tips to help improve headache pain and manage triggers.

As part of this program participants receive the following customized support:

  • Eight sessions of headache management education.
  • Assistance in creating a headache diary to monitor progress and improvement.
  • Education and assessment of headache medications.
  • Diet and supplement recommendations.
  • Instruction in lifestyle modifications, including discussion of sleep, smoking and exercise habits.
  • Instruction in stress management strategies, including mindfulness, relaxation techniques and biofeedback.
  • Assessment of success after eight weeks and post-program plan of care.
  • Access to Cleveland Clinic’s Section of Headache and Facial Pain’s headache literature and tools.

Entry into the Online Headache Education Program requires an initial in-person evaluation with the Headache and Facial Pain team at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus or its regional facilities, billable to health insurance. The program is also available to all established patients in Cleveland Clinic’s Section of Headache and Facial Pain. The eight session online follow-up occurs after the initial evaluation and is conducted entirely through the Cleveland Clinic Express Care® Online virtual visit tool. This service allows patients a fast, convenient, secure and easy way to receive care from our healthcare team in a live virtual visit using a smartphone (iPhone or Android), tablet or computer. The program is billed at an out-of-pocket cost of $49 per session.

For individuals new to Cleveland Clinic’s Section of Headache and Facial Pain, schedule an initial in-person evaluation by calling 216.636.5860 or toll free 866.588.2264.

For individuals established with a Cleveland Clinic headache provider, please call your provider’s office to schedule your eight sessions.