Migraine prophylaxis: key points for the practising clinician.

Migraine is a significant burden on individuals and society. Patients with most severe forms require preventive treatments, whose aim is to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks and consequently the overall impact of migraine. Although various medications are available for migraine prophylaxis, only a minority of migraineurs receive these drugs. This brief paper summarizes the most important indications for starting migraine prophylaxis, and provides an overview of the salient characteristics of available preventive drugs, to guide the choice of the most appropriate medication for a given patient.