Have you ever suffered from headaches after a car accident? Have you been perplexed about what to do for those headaches?

One of the most common causes of headaches globally is due to head injury. Headaches after a car accident are widespread. It’s because of the direct impact on our heads. Sometimes, just by looking at the car accident, we probably will get a headache just by thinking about it. In fact, in many cases, our headache can be a severe problem and another collision damage on our body.

If you’re dealing with the aftermath of a car accident and are experiencing headaches, then check out the tips below. If you don’t get relief soon, consider seeking medical treatment.

Headaches can be associated with injuries to small blood vessels in the head or neck, and they could also be due to stress after a car accident. If they persist or worsen, seek medical attention. The most common signs of car accident-related (or any brain injury) are persistent headaches and memory loss.

In the event of a car accident, there’s a good chance you’ll experience headaches. This is why it’s essential to consult the services of one of San Diego’s chiropractors after a car accident.

After a car accident, you may feel pain. In addition to a headache, your neck and shoulders may be sore. You may have difficulty turning your head from side to side, and some people experience nausea or vomiting.

Tension headaches are a type of muscle contraction headache (they are called tension headaches because they commonly involve tightening the muscles in the back of the neck). They can occur without injury, but they are more likely after an accident because stress affects muscle contraction.

What Are The Potential Causes Of Headaches After A Car Accident?

If you’ve ever been in a car accident or have had a friend go through one, you know that the pain of a head injury is just as real as other kinds of trauma.
Treating the symptoms after a car accident can be as important as treating the injuries themselves since they can signal more severe complications.
If you’re suffering from headaches after an accident, there are several possible causes to consider:

Whiplash

The most common cause of headaches after a car accident is whiplash. Whiplash occurs in about 20% of car accident cases. The neck gets twisted or strained during an accident, and this causes pain and stiffness in the neck area.

These symptoms usually disappear within a few weeks or months after an accident if there are no complications. However, sometimes the whiplash symptoms persist for longer than a few weeks or months, referred to as a post-whiplash syndrome.

Post-whiplash syndrome is mainly caused by underlying soft tissue injuries that occur in addition to whiplash. Neck spasms, muscle strain, and ligament injuries are some of the most common soft tissue injuries that prolong the symptoms of whiplash.

Traumatic Brain Injury

There are about 1.5 million traumatic brain injuries in the United States every year. Most of them result from car accidents, but not all-cause noticeable symptoms.

Post-Concussion Syndrome

If your concussion is severe enough that you lose consciousness for longer than 30 minutes or more than 24 hours, it could trigger post-concussion syndrome. This condition can include headaches, dizziness, and problems with attention span and memory.

Symptoms usually occur within days of the concussion and last around six months before improving independently. However, some people with post-concussion syndrome suffer from it for years.

Skull Fracture

A skull fracture is often behind a traumatic brain injury, but it can cause headaches by itself, even if it isn’t.

Car Defects

Several car defects may cause uncomfortable headaches after an accident. An airbag defect may cause the driver to experience an injury during a crash. A steering defect may cause the steering wheel to collapse on impact with another object or individual.

Another dangerous deficiency may cause the vehicle’s frame to break apart during an accident, resulting in whiplash injuries and severe pain throughout the body.

Defective Products

Whiplash injuries are common during car accidents, whether minor fender benders or serious collisions lead to head injuries. Injuries suffered during motor vehicle accidents may be due to a defective product or not wearing proper safety equipment during an accident.

Signs and Symptoms

Headaches can be debilitating, and even though it’s not the most noticeable manifestation of a whiplash injury, it’s still important to proactively seek treatment to avoid further complications.
The signs and symptoms of headaches after a car accident are similar to those after any head trauma. A headache might be a mild inconvenience at first, but it could become crippling in the long run if left untreated.

• Dull pain in the neck area
• Pain across one side of the head
• Pain may radiate down the arm or shoulder
• Pain that worsens when you bend your neck forward or backward
• Sharp pains shoot through your head or behind your eyes (this is usually referred to as a “thunderclap headache”)
• Confusion
• Amnesia
• Memory loss
• Nausea, dizziness, or feeling faint
• Short attention span – you may have trouble remembering shortlists of numbers or words
• Neck soreness or stiffness
• Tingling sensation in arms or legs
• Sensitivity to light
• Hearing loss
• Problems with balance or coordination

How does San Diego Car Accident Chiropractor Treat Headaches after Car Accident?

Treatments you can get from a San Diego chiropractic care center include:

Chiropractic Adjustments

A chiropractor will take an X-ray of your spine and neck to see if there have been any injuries. When an injury is spotted, the doctor will give you an adjustment that could help relieve pressure and inflammation in your joints, nerves, and muscles and help relieve pain caused by the injury.

Muscle Therapy

If you’ve suffered a muscle strain due to the accident, the doctor may recommend some exercises to help heal the muscle and reduce pain.

Massage Therapy

The doctor may recommend some therapeutic massage as part of your treatment plan. Massage can help with overall well-being and help relax muscles after they’ve been injured during a car accident.

Heat/Ice Therapy

Your doctor may use ice or heat pads to help relieve pain after an accident and speed up recovery.

Consider being treated by a personal injury chiropractor in San Diego next time you need to visit the chiropractor after an auto accident. Injury chiropractor San Diego is also a certified BioPhotonics practitioner, so he can do more than treat your spine and back — he can treat your whole body.

Dr. Zach Beatty, DC
San Diego Auto Injury Center
619-380-3235