Whiplash injuries are one of the most common types of injuries that occur in car accidents. Many people who suffer from whiplash do not realize that they have an injury until days or even weeks after the accident. One of the most common symptoms of whiplash is headache. In this blog post, we will discuss why you get headaches from whiplash injuries and how to treat them.
Whiplash is caused by a sudden, jerking motion of the head. This can occur when you are rear-ended in a car accident or if you suffer a fall. When the head is jerked suddenly, the muscles and ligaments in the neck are strained. This can cause bruising of the muscles and pressure on the nerves. Studies were done on injured people after a whiplash injury, and they showed that the Greater Occipital Nerve in your upper neck, supplying sensation from the skull, can become inflamed, compressed, or stretched after a whiplash injury.
I was surprised to look at anatomical dissections of the greater occipital nerve. This nerve starts at the upper neck, and supplies sensation to the back of the skull. This nerve is right up agains the muscles that can become easily strained with an injury. With a bad injury, you can see how the swelling surrounds the nerve tissue.
When your neck hyperextends when you are hit from behind, your skull can bruise the suboccipital muscles as they impact the other bones in your neck. The nerves going to your head are right next to these bruised areas. The pain from whiplash headaches can vary. You may have a dull ache or a throbbing pain. The pain may be worse when you move your head, when you bend over, or when you lie down. Whiplash headaches are different from tension headaches or migraines because they are usually localized to the back of the head and are caused suddenly after the impact.
Headaches are one of the leading causes of disabilities in working adults. If you are suffering from whiplash headaches, it is important to seek treatment right away. There are many different treatments available for whiplash headaches. Pain medication, physical therapy, and massage therapy can all help to relieve the pain. If you are suffering from severe pain, your doctor may recommend injections or surgery. But, chiropractic care is a safer treatment that has been shown to be just as effective in the short term, and more effective in the long term.
Chiropractic care helps restore motion to the injured and inflamed areas of your neck. This helps to reduce the pain and inflammation. Chiropractic care also helps to retrain your muscles and ligaments so that they can heal properly. If you are suffering from whiplash headaches, contact us today to see how we can help you.
You can also suffer from a concussion after a car accident. Symptoms of a concussion can include: headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, blurry vision, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, feeling tired or sleepy, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering things. If you have any of these symptoms after a car accident, it is important to see a doctor right away. Concussions are a major source of headaches after a car accident.
