Introducing the EMHA Migraine Scoring System
A new tool designed by Europe’s leading migraine specialists to help patients, physicians, and society to better understand and communicate about migraine.
Takes less than 2 minutes · 100% anonymous
Why do we need a new scoring system?
Currently, migraine is an invisible burden, often ignored or minimized by both society and healthcare systems. Traditional assessment tools rarely reflect the real impact of migraine on daily life, emotional well-being, and work performance.
This project presents a new tool designed to facilitate the communication between patients and physicians. It offers a simple and reliable way to track and discuss migraine experiences in real time, covering treatment effectiveness, attack frequency, pain intensity, and overall impact.
By making the language of migraine clearer and more consistent, our goal is to help patients, doctors, and society finally speak the same language about this complex condition.
What makes the EMHA Scoring System different?
Co-created by patients and leading European neurologists through the EMHA scientific committee.
Simple, quick, and patient-friendly.
Designed to foster better communication in medical consultations.
Captures stigma, functional impact, and daily realities.
Takes less than 2 minutes · 100% anonymous
How does it work?
The Migraine Scoring System is a simple self-assessment tool developed to help people understand how migraine impacts their daily life. The system classifies migraine severity into four levels, based on the outcome of an algorithm that processes answers to four key questions regarding:
Attack frequency
Pain intensity
Attack intensity
(Other symptoms)
Acute treatment reliability
These four levels have been rigorously researched, reviewed, compared, and analyzed against established scales such as MIDAS and HIT-6, and have been tested and validated with patients.
Note: The scoring system does not replace the IHS Classification for diagnostic purposes.
Once you answer, the tool generates a numerical score summarizing your migraine impact. You can use this score to discuss your symptoms with your doctor or track changes over time.
Step 1
Answer four short questions.
Step 2
Get your personalized score.
Step 3
Understand what it means.
Step 4
Discuss it with your doctor.
Why it’s not a self-diagnosis tool
- The score does not tell you which medication to take or confirm whether you have migraine.
- It’s meant to complement—not replace—medical advice.
- Its purpose is to support communication between patients and healthcare professionals, not to provide or suggest a diagnosis.
Developed by a European scientific committee
This tool was created under the leadership of the European Migraine & Headache Alliance, in collaboration with leading headache specialists from across Europe.
Project’s leadership / coordination
Dr. Patricia Pozo-Rosich
Neurologist - Vall D’Hebrón Hospital (Spain)
Prof. Peter Goadsby
Neurologist - Wellcome Trust King's Clinical Research Facility (The UK)
Elena Ruiz de la Torre
EMHA’s Executive Director
Dr. Patricia Pozo-Rosich
Neurologist - Vall D’Hebrón Hospital (Spain)
Prof. Peter Goadsby
Neurologist - Wellcome Trust King's Clinical Research Facility (The UK)
Elena Ruiz de la Torre
EMHA’s Executive Director
MEMBERS
Dr. Antoinette Maassen van den Brink
Neurovascular pharmacologist - Erasmus MC of Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
Dr. Gisela Terwindt
Neurologist - Leiden Headache Center (The Netherlands)
Dr. Messoud Ashina
Neurologist - Copenhagen University Hospital (Denmark)
Dr. Pablo Irimia
Neurologist - Clinica Universidad de Navarra (Spain)
Dr. Dimos Mitsikostas
Neurologist - Aeginition Hospital, (Greece)
Dr. Christian Lampl
Neurologist - onventhospital Barmherzige Brüder Linz (Austria)
Dr. Edoardo Caronna
Neurologist - Vall D'Hebrón Hospital (Spain)
Dr. Faisal Amin
Neurologist - Rigshospitalet's headache center & Capio Private Hospital (Denmark)
Dr. Raquel Gil Gouveia
Neurologist - Hospital Da Luz (Portugal)
Dr. Antoinette Maassen van den Brink
Neurovascular pharmacologist - Erasmus MC of Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
Dr. Gisela Terwindt
Neurologist - Leiden Headache Center (The Netherlands)
Dr. Messoud Ashina
Neurologist - Copenhagen University Hospital (Denmark)
Dr. Pablo Irimia
Neurologist - Clinica Universidad de Navarra (Spain)
Dr. Dimos Mitsikostas
Neurologist - Aeginition Hospital, (Greece)
Dr. Edoardo Caronna
Neurologist - Vall D'Hebrón Hospital (Spain)
Dr. Christian Lampl
Neurologist - onventhospital Barmherzige Brüder Linz (Austria)
Dr. Faisal Amin
Neurologist - Rigshospitalet's headache center & Capio Private Hospital (Denmark)
Dr. Raquel Gil Gouveia
Neurologist - Hospital Da Luz (Portugal)
Where are we now?
The EMHA Scoring System is now available in English and Spanish. We are working to validate into Greek, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, and German.
If you are interested and want to validate the tool in your language, contact us at executivedirector@emhalliance.org
Ready to take the next step?
Whether you live with migraine or treat it, this tool can help you better understand its real impact. Ask your doctor about the EMHA Migraine Scoring System today.
Takes less than 2 minutes · 100% anonymous
FAQ / Disclaimer
What is the Migraine Scoring System?
It’s a short, evidence-based questionnaire designed to help you understand how migraine affects your daily life — including frequency, pain intensity, and overall impact. The score you get is a self-awareness tool, not a diagnosis, meant to guide better conversations with your doctor.
How long does it take?
Just a few minutes.
The test includes 4 quick questions, and you’ll get your migraine score instantly after completing them.
What does my score mean?
Your score reflects how migraine currently impacts you — from mild to severe levels.
You’ll see a short interpretation explaining what your result suggests and how you might track changes over time.
If your score is high or your symptoms change, it’s a good idea to discuss the results with a healthcare professional.
Is this a medical test?
No — this is not a diagnostic tool.
It’s an informative questionnaire that helps you recognize your migraine patterns and prepare for more productive discussions with your doctor.
Only a qualified healthcare professional can provide diagnosis or treatment advice.
Is my data saved or shared?
No personal data is collected or stored.
Your answers are anonymous and used only to calculate your migraine score.
If any information is analyzed, it’s done in an aggregated and anonymized way to help improve the tool.
Can I retake the test?
Yes — and it’s actually recommended!
Migraine can change over time, so repeating the test periodically helps you track your progress and notice patterns linked to lifestyle, stress, or treatment changes.
Who developed this tool?
The scoring system was developed by the European Migraine & Headache Alliance (EMHA) with guidance from neurologists and migraine experts across Europe.
It’s part of an effort to make the language of migraine clearer and more consistent — for patients, doctors, and society alike.
What should I do after getting my score?
You can:
- Save or note down your score
- Reflect on what affects your migraine patterns
- Share the result with your doctor to discuss possible next steps
This tool is the first step toward understanding your migraine, not the last.