Unfortunately, it is common for people who are in a car accident to suffer from post-traumatic headaches in the hours, days, weeks, and sometimes months following the incident. Headaches are no small annoyance and, in fact, they can be especially painful and debilitating if left untreated. If you live in the Milwaukee area and you’ve been involved in an auto accident, you should consider scheduling a consultation with the chiropractor at Lifetime Chiropractic Center. We can help treat any headaches you’ve been experiencing and provide the pain relief you deserve.
How Do Car Accidents Cause Headaches?
When your car collides with another vehicle or a large object, you may suffer a blow to the head or the sudden movement forward and then the jolt of your seatbelt restraining your body may cause whiplash and a violent shaking of the brain. These are the situations that most commonly cause post-traumatic headaches in a car accident.
Even Small Accidents can Cause Big Headaches
Some victims of a car accident may not think that they need to request medical assistance as they do not believe the car accident itself was very severe. However, it’s important to note that even the most minor fender benders can result in severe and potentially debilitating headaches and migraines.
Signs and Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Headaches
Remember, headaches following an auto accident may happen immediately, or they may not begin for a week or two following the collision. A few of the common signs and symptoms of a post-traumatic headache include:
- Dull and continually aching head pain
- Feeling of pressure or tightness across the forehead
- Muscle tenderness at the shoulder, neck, or head
- Unexplainable loss of appetite
- Sharp, near stinging pain at the temples
Not All Headaches Are the Same
Just as there are many different types of symptoms for a post-traumatic, car accident-induced headache, there are many different types of headaches. A few of those specific types of headaches include:
- Cervicothoracic somatic dysfunctional headaches
- Chronic daily headaches
- Chronic facial headaches
- Cluster headaches
- Migraine headaches
- Musculoskeletal headaches
- Nerve dysfunction headaches
- Tension headaches
When you seek medical attention at an ER or at your primary physician’s office following a car accident, you will likely be prescribed some medication to help dull the pain. But treating the pain does not treat the underlying cause of the headache. Oftentimes, headaches following a car accident are the result of pinched nerves, injured muscle tissues, and similar problems that can be resolved through care from a chiropractor.