If you or a loved one was injured in a Bucks County or Philadelphia auto accident and have frequent headaches as a result, the key to treatment of your headaches may be to understand more about them. Bucks County personal injury lawyer Michael L. Sale, Jr. stresses the importance of seeing your family doctor after an accident and following up with any specialists your doctor may recommend for specific personal injuries.
Dr. Glen Johnson, a Michigan clinical neuropsychologist, who has written extensively about traumatic brain injury, says there are three basic types of headaches associated with many auto accidents:
• Pain in the back of the head, neck and shoulders
• Migraine-like headache
• “Stabbing” headache
The first is a problem of muscles and nerves. Back of the head pain usually starts at the base, along the neck and shoulders and often worsens throughout the day, possibly spreading over the top of your head to the front.
In an auto accident, the action of your head being thrown forward in the sudden stop causes the bones, cartilage and muscles of your neck to strain and press down on the discs between them. As the discs get squished, they can press on the nerves inside causing pain or headache. In addition, the muscles can become stretched and sore and can be easily re-injured or take a long time to heal. This type of headache can trigger one that resembles a migraine.
Similar to a migraine, with this type of headache, the pain is in the front of the head. A common complaint is a “pounding” of the forehead or temples. This headache could be from a change in the veins and arteries of the brain. Normally much blood flows to the brain to supply the needed oxygen, but in an auto accident, like a tube (vein or artery) that is suddenly reduced in diameter, blood to flow to the brain is suddenly reduced as the brain is jarred. But, when the diameter suddenly increases as the veins are not stretched, a rush of blood goes to the brain causing a throbbing or pounding sensation that many Philadelphia auto accident victims experience.
The “stabbing” headache pain is severe and can be debilitating for its duration but normally only lasts for a minute or two. Because symptoms are brief, most doctors often do not offer treatment for this type of headache, although sometimes low doses of anti-seizure medication, physical therapy or massage therapy may help. In any case, make sure your doctor knows if you plan to use other therapies.
Most headaches that result from your Philadelphia area auto accident injury go away after a few weeks. If you or a loved one injured a Philadelphia or Bucks County auto accident and experience headaches that continue to be at the same pain level, start to get worse, or persist beyond six weeks, this may be cause for concern. You should report your condition to your doctor so that you can be referred for treatment by a headache specialist.
A Bucks County personal injury lawyer at Cordisco & Saile LLC has the experience to help you obtain full and fair compensation you will need to get treatment for the headaches and other injuries you’ve suffered from your PA or NJ auto accident. For more information, get our FREE PA Auto Accident Guide.
