Headaches After a Car Accident: Causes and Treatment
You walked away from the crash, the car is in the shop, and now your head won’t stop pounding. Headaches are one of the most common complaints we hear after a collision, and they often show up hours or even days later, long after the adrenaline wears off. The Mayo Clinic notes that whiplash symptoms, including headaches that start at the base of the skull, typically develop within days of the injury. At Whyte Chiropractic, we help patients across Lindenhurst, Brentwood, and Patchogue understand where their post-accident headaches come from and how to treat them properly.
What Causes Headaches After a Car Accident?
Several injuries can trigger a headache after a crash, and more than one may be at play.
Whiplash. The sudden back-and-forth snap of the neck strains the muscles, ligaments, and joints of the cervical spine. A study published in the journal Spinal Cord found that 60 percent of whiplash patients reported headaches as a result of their accident, most often a dull, aching, tension-type pain that peaks within the first 24 hours.
Concussion. Even without striking your head, the brain can jolt inside the skull. The American Headache Society describes post-traumatic headache as a new headache that begins after a head injury, and notes that most people with it are also dealing with a concussion.
Muscle tension and nerve irritation. Tight neck and shoulder muscles can refer pain into the skull, while irritated nerves at the top of the spine can send pain from the base of the head toward the temples or behind the eyes.
Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore
Most post-accident headaches are not dangerous, but some are. Seek emergency care right away if your headache is sudden and severe, keeps getting worse, or comes with vomiting, confusion, slurred speech, weakness, or loss of consciousness. The Mayo Clinic also advises seeing a healthcare professional promptly after any accident with neck pain, so that fractures or other damage can be ruled out before treatment begins.
How We Treat Post-Accident Headaches
The good news: the same Spinal Cord study found that constant headaches resolved within three weeks for 85 percent of whiplash patients. Proper care can shorten that window and lower the odds of pain becoming chronic.
Our chiropractic care team restores normal motion to the neck joints and relieves the muscle tension that feeds many headaches. Physical therapy rebuilds strength and flexibility in the neck and shoulders so the pain doesn’t return. For headaches that linger, our pain management specialists can step in, and orthopedic care is available if there’s concern about disc or joint damage.
Don’t Wait for the Headache to Go Away on Its Own
If you were injured in a crash on Long Island, your treatment may be covered under New York’s No-Fault insurance, and our office handles that paperwork for you. Contact us today to request an appointment at our Lindenhurst, Brentwood, or Patchogue office, and let’s get to the root of your headache.
