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<\/p>\nWhen Rose Murray suffered a concussion in January 2022, she expected a routine recovery. <\/p>\n
Instead, the 27-year-old community physiotherapist was plunged into a terrifying cycle of extreme head pain, dizziness, severe nausea and debilitating light sensitivity that lasted for months. <\/p>\n
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Rose Murray was diagnosed with chronic migraine at 27 – and it took a huge physical toll.\u00a0Brain Foundation <\/p>\n
Eventually referred to a neurologist, the Sydney resident received a life-altering diagnosis of chronic migraine. The timing was catastrophic, coming three weeks into her graduate role as a physiotherapist. <\/p>\n
Murray trialled an exhaustive series of interventions, including Botox, occipital nerve blocks and various preventative medications, yet her symptoms persisted. The physical toll soon forced her out of the workforce entirely.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ended up taking three months off work, followed by almost 18 months part-time, before returning to full-time work with daily modifications,\u201d she told nine.com.au.<\/p>\n
It took more than two years for Murray to find a treatment plan that improved her quality of life and helped her effectively manage her condition. A major part of her recovery has been managing the psychological impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found a very bidirectional relationship between my mental health and migraines. I now work closely with my GP, psychologist, exercise physiologist and physiotherapist to manage my symptoms. It takes an army!\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been incredibly lucky to have such an amazing multidisciplinary team, but I\u2019ve also had to strongly advocate for myself and steer much of my recovery. The overlap between these conditions still isn\u2019t well understood or integrated within our healthcare system, which can make navigating it challenging.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy life looks different now, but to someone on the street, or even a friend, it may look the same or \u2018normal\u2019. I think the invisible nature of these conditions is sometimes the hardest part.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cI found a very bidirectional relationship between my mental health and migraines.\u201d\u00a0Brain Foundation <\/p>\n
Murray is sharing her story for Migraine & Headache Awareness Week<\/a> (September 21-27) to try and help fellow sufferers who \u201cmay be feeling lost, as I once was\u201d.<\/p>\n A hidden health crisis<\/p>\n Murray\u2019s story reflects a broader national crisis that is significantly larger than previously understood. <\/p>\n New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reveals nearly four million people are living with migraine, a figure more than double the official estimates previously relied upon by health authorities.<\/p>\n