It’s very common for people to experience headaches or migraines after head trauma. For many patients, this is a temporary issue, but for others, it becomes a long-term or permanent problem that can only be solved with headache surgery.
Today, we will discuss how whiplash or head trauma can lead to migraines and even occipital neuralgia, a condition where the occipital nerves become inflamed or injured, causing severe pain in the upper neck, behind the ears, or in the back of the head.
Understanding TBI
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is when your head, brain, and/or neck gets seriously injured, leading to long-term complications. Headaches and migraines are the most common complications and it occurs in up to 81% of patients.
Most headache issues related to TBI will last a year or a bit more than a year, but 20% of patients will continue to experience headaches and migraines for 5 years.
Headaches and migraines that relate to head trauma can evolve, which means new symptoms can be developed. There’s no way to know when a head trauma will result in chronic or persistent headaches, though.
How Whiplash Can Lead to Headaches and Migraines
When you suffer from head trauma, whiplash can be responsible for chronic and persistent migraines. The purpose of our necks is to keep our heads stable. When there’s unusual motion or the body is alerted to trauma to the head, the neck tenses up to prevent damage to the head.
The force of the head moving in one direction while the neck is working hard to remain stable is what leads to whiplash injuries. The muscle tissue can be damaged as a result; they can tear or develop micro-stretches.
Now, because the muscles in the neck tense up to prevent injury, they can become tight. This is why so many people experience sore muscles after a head injury. What’s happening there is the same thing that occurs when we pull a muscle.
The stretching and tearing make the muscles sore. When they heal, there will be scar tissue, which leads to tight muscles, inflammation, and nerve compression. The latter is what triggers a distress signal to the brain, leading to headaches and migraines after head trauma.
Final Words
If you have exhausted every treatment option and you still suffer from chronic headaches and migraines, it could be time to consider headache surgery. At the Neuropax Clinic, patients suffering from many different issues will find relief, including people who suffer from chronic headaches or migraines.
The Neuropax Clinic is the St. Louis Leader for carpal tunnel, headache surgery, patients suffering from chronic pain, nerve compression, and many other complications. You’ll be met with dedicated medical professionals who will finally provide a solution to the issues that have been keeping you from living your best life. The clinic is located at 12855 North Outer Forty Drive Suite 380 North Tower | St. Louis, MO 63141, and you can give them a call at 314-434-7784 to get more information!
NEUROPAX CLINIC
NEUROPAXCLINIC.COM
12855 N Outer 40 Rd Suite 380,
St. Louis, MO 63141
Phone: (314) 434-7784
