If you’ve recently been involved in an auto accident, it’s very likely that you may have suffered from periods of headaches in the days and weeks following the accident. While there could be a number of possible causes for these headaches, there is one type of headaches in particular that is most common. That type of headaches that are most common after an auto accident are cervicogenic headaches. The word “cervicogenic” means originating in the neck. To that end, a cervicogenic headache occurs when nerves in the neck become irritated. The nerves can be injured from the force of the accident or as a result of injuries to discs or ligaments in the spine.
Another common type of headache after an auto accident is a tension headache. This type of headache is caused by injuries to muscles in the neck causing the injured muscles to spasm. A less common but potentially more serious auto accident injury is vascular injury. This type of injury occurs when there is damage to blood vessels in the neck and cause symptoms such as dizziness, faintness, blurry vision, neck pain, and headaches.
Headaches following an auto accident could also be the result of a larger problem, such as a traumatic brain injury caused by a high-speed collision or a strike to the head during the accident. Even mild brain injuries can have long-term effects on your overall health and need to be addressed immediately.
Lastly, migraines are often an issue for those involved in an auto accident in the timeframe following the accident. Migraines are a type of headaches that a recurring and are accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light.
If you have recently been involved in an auto accident and have been suffering from headaches, Advanced Chiropractic & Rehab may be able to help. Chiropractic is a proven and effective treatment for headache pains. A 2001 research report from Duke University stated that “spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than commonly prescribed medications.” In addition to performing spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to alleviate stress on the back and neck, chiropractors can also recommend posture changes, nutritional changes, exercises, and relaxation techniques. All of these actions can relieve irritation and tension in the back and neck, thus reducing the severity and frequency of headaches. So, If you’ve been searching for a way to reduce or eliminate headaches from your everyday life, give us a call at (330) 726-7404 to set up a consultation and we’ll see what we can do to help you improve your daily quality of life. We have been servicing the Youngstown and Mahoning Valley area since 2001 with convenient locations in Boardman, Hubbard and Kinsman. At Advanced Chiropractic & Rehab we are a multi-disciplinary rehabilitation group that treats work comp injuries, whiplash, sports injuries and specializes in much more than just lower back pain.