In migraine headache cases, the functional capacity limitations that I usually see involve job attendance and daily reliability. Migraine patients frequently experience headaches randomly, with no specific cause identified.  When a migraine hits, the claimant needs to lie down in a dark room and avoid all stimuli including noise or light.  If the claimant happens to be at work, he/she has to leave or be driven home.  Unscheduled absences from work are also common.  From what my clients tell me, severe migraine headaches cause pain at such a level that no activities of any type would be possible.

The main questions to be answered, therefore, have to do with:

• the frequency of the migraines
• the severity of the migraines
• how long do the migraines last when they occur?

If your doctor will document activity limitations – preferably in a functional capacity checklist – you have a good chance at winning.  For example, you will want your treating doctor to state that you will need unscheduled breaks from work, that you will miss several days of work each month because you can’t come in, and that you need low stress activities.