Concussion Awareness: Do You Have a Headache After Hitting Your Head?

Headaches are one of the most common symptoms reported after a concussion. Concussions often result from whiplash, which can affect the neck area as well.

These headaches are often cervicogenic headaches, or secondary headaches, meaning they are caused by another illness or physical issue, common after whiplash injuries or hard hits to the head.

People often describe three types of headache after a concussion:

1. A headache that’s present most of the time and sometimes changes locations
2. A headache that feels more like pressure and comes on when trying to do different tasks
3. A headache that’s present when you wake up that comes from pain in the neck

While these types of headaches are described differently, they are all post-traumatic headaches, which occur following a traumatic injury. The following headaches can be caused by multiple impairments related to the injury including:

• Disrupted sleep
• Poor Nutrition
• Nausea
• Poor hydration
• Impaired eye movements
• Sensitivity to light and noise

This list includes some of the most common causes of headaches, but not all possible causes. All of the above impairments are treatable and manageable.

The concussion specialists at Sheltering Arms are specifically trained on assessments and treatment strategies to address all of the above impairments as well as other possible causes of your symptoms. If you think you or a loved one are suffering from one or more of the above impairments, email us or call (804) 764-1000 to schedule a comprehensive evaluation with one of our concussion experts.