Art and Migraine: Researching the Relationship Between Artmaking and Pain Experience - Editorial Intro and Abstract

Oct 15, 2026

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This research project extends a prior study on the relationship between artmaking and pain among 127 migraine sufferers. It provides an overview of migraine symptoms and treatment, then frames concepts related to “migraine art.” Questionnaires on headache history, pain experience, and artmaking practices were mailed to 371 participants in a national migraine art competition, with both quantitative and qualitative analyses.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Literature Review: Migraine Description

The following article originally appeared in 2005, Volume 22(4), 193–204 Art and Migraine: Researching the Relationship Between Artmaking and Pain Experience Randy M. Vick , Chicago, IL, and Kathy Sexton-Radek, Elmhurst, IL Introductory Comments by Frances F. Kaplan (Editor, 2002-2005) It was difficult to choose only one article from the many excellent ones published during my 4-year tenure with this journal. I have solved this quandary by choosing one article for reproduction and three others as runner-ups. I picked the article “Art and Migraine” by Randy Vick and Kathy Sexton-Radek (2005, 22[4], 193–202) for reprinting for several reasons. It is an exemplary piece of research that uses both quantitative and qualitative methods and, therefore, provides a model for research in our field that arises above the ongoing dispute about which methodology is better suited to our discipline. More than that, however, it raises some interesting questions about the healing nature of art that are worthy of emphasis from time to time so that we remain aware of art therapy’s limits as well as its potential for good. Art therapy is not a panacea and continuing research is necessary in order to understand where and under what circumstances it is best applied. To quote from the authors’ concluding statement: Any treatment with the power to help also bears the potential to harm if misapplied. Although seemingly counterintuitive from an art therapy perspective, we feel [our] findings underscore the need for further research concerning the subtle and complex role art can play in healing. (p. 200) My three runner-up articles with brief descriptive statements are as follows. First, the study described in “Understanding War, Visualizing Peace: Children Draw What They Know” by Kathleen Walker, Karen Myers-Bowman, and Judith Myers-Wallis (2003, 20[4], 191–200) indicated that we can use art to help children visualize peace as an alternative to war—rather than as a consequence. This use of art, then, holds the potential to assist young people in becoming world citizens who see complex issues in more than one dimension. Second, in “Can Coloring Mandalas Reduce Anxiety?”Nancy Curry and Tim Kasser (2005, 22[2], 81–85) reported on an illuminating study that found coloring either amandala or a plaid design offered participants significant reductions in anxiety. An implication worth noting here is that it was the design’s complexity that reduced participants’ anxiety, rather than some “magical” aspect ofthe artwork’s specific form. Finally, Deborah Golub’s article “Social Action Art Therapy” (2005, 22[1], 17–23) provided both a multicultural and a social action perspective on art therapy treat- ment. This perspective is much needed by art therapists, who are practitioners in an increasingly global society. It is my hope that the reader will review these three articles in addition to reading the reprinted one below. There are important nuances in each that cannot be captured in a brief statement. Abstract This research project extends a previous study (Vick & Sexton-Radek, 1999) in examining the relationship between artmaking and pain among 127 migraine sufferers. A basic overview of migraine symptoms and treatment is presented along with a discussion of concepts relating to“migraine art” in order to provide a context for this project. Surveys dealing with headache history, pain experience, and artmaking practices were mailed to 371 participants ina national migraine art competition; both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed. Participants reported that artmaking was more likely to trigger headaches than to alleviate them and that both the quantity and quality of studio work declined during headache episodes. In addition, participants identified numerous art materials and practices that they felt precipitated migraines and noted avoidance strategies they used to manage their headaches. The implications of these counterintuitive

FAQs

What is the central research question of this study?

The study examines how artmaking practices relate to headache pain and the experiences of migraine sufferers, including how artmaking may trigger or alleviate migraine symptoms.

How were data collected and analyzed?

Surveys on headache history, pain experience, and artmaking practices were mailed to 371 participants in a national migraine art competition, and both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed.

What counterintuitive outcomes were reported about artmaking and migraines?

Participants reported that artmaking was more likely to trigger headaches than to alleviate them, and they noted declines in both the quantity and quality of studio work during headache episodes.

Oct 15, 2026

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