Headaches After a Car Accident: Causes and What to Do

Headaches are one of the most common complaints I hear from patients who come into my Greenville office after a car accident. They are also one of the most frequently dismissed. Patients take ibuprofen, wait for the headaches to pass, and assume they are a normal part of recovering from the stress of the accident. Sometimes that is true. More often it is not.

Post-traumatic headaches following a car accident are frequently a sign of an underlying injury to the cervical spine or surrounding soft tissue that will not resolve on its own no matter how many pain relievers you take. After more than 40 years of treating auto accident patients in Greenville, I can tell you that patients who address the underlying cause of their post-accident headaches recover far more completely than those who simply manage the symptom.

Here is what you need to know.

Why Headaches Are So Common After Car Accidents

The forces involved in a car accident, particularly a rear-end or side-impact collision, subject the cervical spine to rapid, violent movement that it was not designed to absorb. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the neck are stretched and torn, the vertebrae can be misaligned, and the discs between the cervical vertebrae can be compressed, herniated, or bulged in the process.

All of these structures have a direct relationship to headache production. The upper cervical spine in particular, the top two vertebrae and the surrounding musculature, is one of the most common sources of referred head pain in the body. When these structures are injured or irritated, they produce pain that radiates into the head in patterns that can mimic tension headaches, migraines, and other primary headache types.

This is why post-accident headaches are so important to evaluate properly rather than simply treating with medication.

Types of Headaches That Occur After a Car Accident

Not all post-accident headaches have the same cause and understanding the difference matters for treatment.

Cervicogenic Headaches

Cervicogenic headaches are headaches that originate in the cervical spine and are referred into the head. They are caused by dysfunction in the joints, muscles, or nerves of the upper cervical spine and are one of the most common types of headache following a car accident.

The pain pattern of a cervicogenic headache is distinctive.

It typically begins at the base of the skull and radiates forward toward the forehead, temples, or behind the eyes. Patients often notice that certain neck movements, sustained postures like sitting at a computer, or direct pressure on the upper cervical muscles triggers or worsens the headache. This connection between neck position or movement and headache onset is a strong indicator of a cervicogenic origin.

Cervicogenic headaches respond very well to chiropractic care directed at the upper cervical spine because the treatment addresses the actual source of the pain rather than the symptom.

Post-Traumatic Tension Headaches

Tension headaches following a car accident are driven by the muscle tension, trigger points, and cervical joint dysfunction that result from the injury. The whiplash mechanism that produces neck pain and stiffness also creates significant muscle guarding and tension in the cervical and upper back musculature that can produce a characteristic band-like headache around the head.

These headaches respond well to chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue treatment that address the cervical dysfunction and muscle tension driving them.

Concussion-Related Headaches

If your head struck any surface during the accident, whether the steering wheel, the window, the headrest, or the airbag, concussion is a possibility that needs to be considered.

Concussion-related headaches are part of a broader post-concussion syndrome that can include cognitive difficulties, sensitivity to light and noise, fatigue, and mood changes in addition to headache.

Concussion-related headaches require a different management approach than cervicogenic or tension headaches. If you lost consciousness during the accident, if you have memory gaps around the event, or if your headaches are accompanied by cognitive symptoms, confusion, or significant dizziness, seek emergency evaluation first. Once a concussion has been assessed and is being managed appropriately, chiropractic care for any associated cervical injuries can be a valuable part of the overall recovery plan.

Headaches From Disc and Nerve Injuries

Disc injuries in the cervical spine can compress nerve roots that contribute to headache production. Pinched nerves in the upper cervical spine produce referred pain patterns that can extend into the head and face. These headache types are less common than cervicogenic and tension headaches following an accident but are important to identify because they require targeted treatment directed at the disc or nerve compression rather than the musculature alone.

Why Headaches After a Car Accident Should Not Be Ignored

There are two reasons why dismissing post-accident headaches as something that will eventually go away on its own is a mistake.

The first is clinical. Headaches that originate from an underlying cervical injury do not resolve when the underlying injury is not treated. They can persist for months or years, become chronic, and significantly affect quality of life and daily function. Patients who were in a car accident years ago and have had headaches ever since are not uncommon in my practice. In most cases the headaches were present from the beginning and were never properly evaluated or treated.

The second is legal. If you are pursuing a personal injury claim, headaches that are documented in your examination record from your first visit after the accident are part of the clinical picture of your injuries. Headaches that you mention to your attorney weeks later but were never documented in medical records are harder to connect to the accident. Getting evaluated promptly and establishing a complete record of your symptoms from the start protects your claim.

How We Evaluate and Treat Post-Accident Headaches

At Brown Chiropractic Center, every new auto accident patient receives a thorough evaluation that specifically assesses the cervical spine structures most commonly responsible for post-traumatic headaches. Dr. Brown takes a detailed history of your headaches including their location, character, frequency, triggers, and any associated symptoms. He evaluates your upper cervical joint function, assesses your posture and spinal alignment, performs neurological screening, and takes digital x-rays when indicated.

Treatment for post-accident headaches is targeted at the specific findings of your examination. For most patients this includes cervical chiropractic adjustments to restore proper joint function and alignment in the upper cervical spine, which directly addresses the most common source of post-traumatic headaches.

Depending on your examination findings, care may also include cervical traction for disc-related or nerve-related headache components, cold laser therapy to reduce inflammation in the cervical soft tissue, therapeutic ultrasound for deep tissue healing, and high voltage galvanism for muscle tension and pain control.

The Relationship Between Whiplash and Headaches

Whiplash and post-traumatic headaches are closely linked. In fact, headache is one of the most consistent symptoms of whiplash injury and is present in the majority of whiplash cases. The same cervical spine trauma that produces neck pain and stiffness also produces the upper cervical dysfunction that drives cervicogenic and tension headaches.

This means that treating whiplash effectively almost always involves addressing the headache component as well, and that patients whose whiplash is properly treated typically see their headaches resolve along with their neck pain. The converse is also true: patients who only treat their headaches without addressing the underlying cervical injury tend to have headaches that keep coming back.

When to Seek Emergency Care

Most post-accident headaches, while significant and deserving of proper treatment, are not medical emergencies.

However, certain headache characteristics following an accident warrant immediate emergency evaluation:

• A sudden, severe headache that is the worst you have ever experienced

• Headache accompanied by loss of consciousness, confusion, or disorientation

• Headache with significant vision changes, slurred speech, or weakness on one side of the body

• Headache with fever and stiff neck

• Headache following a significant head impact with any loss of memory around the event

If any of these apply, go to the emergency room first. Chiropractic evaluation follows once acute medical concerns have been ruled out.

Do Not Wait on Post-Accident Headaches

If you have been dealing with headaches since a car accident, whether the accident was recent or happened some time ago, getting a thorough evaluation is worth doing. The underlying cervical dysfunction that produces most post-traumatic headaches is treatable, and the longer it goes unaddressed the more entrenched the headache pattern can become.

Brown Chiropractic Center is located at 426 N. Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville, SC, just off I-385. New patients receive a complimentary consultation and exam. Dr. Brown will evaluate the cervical structures most likely to be contributing to your headaches and develop a targeted treatment plan.

Schedule Your First Appointment

Dr. Jeff W. Brown, D.C.

Brown Chiropractic Center, Greenville, SC