For years, Sophia and Bernadette struggled with the same question many people with migraine face: How do you explain what you're experiencing with migraine, when pain is only part of the story?

In this episode of Chronically Peachy, we introduce a transformational tool that has changed the conversation for them: the stoplight scale.

While asking "What's your pain level from 0 to 10?" can fall short for migraine, the stoplight system combines pain, symptoms, and functionality into a shared language that’s evidence-based and easier to understand for doctors, partners, coworkers, caregivers…and even yourself.

Together, we break down how to use green, yellow, and red days to recognize warning signs earlier, make treatment decisions faster, communicate your needs more clearly, and track how your migraine is evolving over time.

Whether you're newly diagnosed, living with chronic migraine, supporting a loved one, or looking for a better way to advocate for yourself in the doctor's office, this episode offers a practical framework you can start using today!

Timestamps:

• 00:00 — Welcome and episode intro

• 00:43 — Why we need a better way to talk about pain

• 01:26 — Introducing the stoplight scale: pain and functionality together

• 02:12 — Why migraine is more than just pain (prodrome, aura, postdrome)

• 03:02 — How the scale helps you and your support system understand migraine between attacks

• 04:07— Breaking down the colors: what green, yellow, and red mean

• 07:03 — Why the stoplight system is a more universal scale in comparison to the 0-10 pain scale

• 07:47 — The stoplight scale in practice: changing how you care for yourself & how you communicate with your loved ones

• 09:04 — Why migraine is always present, not just during attacks

• 09:35 — How the scale shifts across different migraine types (episodic vs. chronic vs. refractory)

• 11:47 — Building your personalized stoplight scale and sharing it with your support system

• 12:41 — Recognizing early warning signs and the critical treatment window

• 15:18 — Using the stoplight scale at the doctor's office

• 17:34 — Why tracking with the stoplight scale shows a clearer picture of functionality and level of disability with migraine

• 18:19 — Bernadette shares how her tracking data changed her treatment plan

• 19:22 — How Peachy Day uses the stoplight system for visual tracking

• 21:38 — Navigating care with PCPs and general neurologists (and why your data matters so much)

• 23:28— The big picture: is your migraine getting better, staying constant, or worsening?

• 24:44 — Key takeaways and how to start using the stoplight scale today

Follow us on social media

🎙 Chronically Peachy IG: @chronicallypeachypod

✨ Bernadette’s IG: @ChronicAccounts

✨ Bernadette’s TikTok: @ChronicAccounts

✨ Bernadette’s Threads: @ChronicAccounts

🍑 Peachy Day website: www.peachyday.co

🍑 Peachy Day TikTok: @peachyday.co

🍑 Peachy Day IG: @peachyday.co

Music: honey jam by massobeats