After being involved in a car accident, headaches are one of the most common things you may notice, because your head and neck are usually particularly affected by the collision. Even a small fender bender can have enough force of impact that your body jolts forward or backward in some way. Because your head and neck aren’t restrained while driving, they are left at risk of injury. Small accidents may not seem serious, but a headache after a car accident proves your body has been affected in some way. The most common injury that leads to constant headaches is whiplash.
How Whiplash Causes Headaches
Whiplash occurs when the force of an accident causes your head to jerk back and forth aggressively at an unnatural speed or angle. This can affect the bones and muscles in your neck and leave you susceptible to headaches after a car accident. Bones are impacted because the vertebrae in your spine can shift minorly out of place, while the muscles mean to support your neck and spine can tear or strain. This strain can lead to headaches. Torn or strained tissue can also become inflamed, or swollen- enough swelling in the neck can cause headaches.
Other Symptoms of Whiplash
Constant or intermittent headaches are one of the most common symptoms caused by whiplash, but there are other signs you are experiencing the condition. Other symptoms may include pain in the neck, upper back or shoulders, along with stiffness and difficulty turning your head.
It is important to know that whiplash symptoms will not always appear immediately following the accident. It can take hours, or sometimes even days, for you to begin noticing these symptoms. Your body may respond to an accident by going into shock, which can prevent you from noticing your injuries properly as a defense mechanism. The accident will also often cause your body to release adrenaline, which masks pain in order for you to push through. It is important to know that just because you feel perfectly fine the day of your accident, that doesn’t mean you haven’t suffered an injury.
Muscles that have been affected by whiplash can also be subject to inflammation, which is known to come on gradually and worsen over time, exacerbating any pain. Swollen muscles can put unnecessary pressure onto other parts of your neck and back, making the problem worse. Once the swelling begins to go down, you might notice other symptoms that were masked by the swelling. Stiffness in your neck will often worsen as your muscles begin to feel the full extent of your car accident injuries.
Diagnosing Whiplash
While whiplash is extremely common, it can be difficult to diagnose because there is no single identifying factor that shows up on a diagnostic scan. A combination of these tools and your symptoms will be used to help a doctor confirm or rule out the diagnosis. It will be important to include all of your symptoms and describe them precisely in order to help this diagnosis be accurate. You may also be asked to perform simple exercises to demonstrate the range of motion in your neck.
While a diagnostic scan can’t singularly confirm whiplash, they are able to provide additional information. In this case, what diagnostic scans should you get after a car accident? An X-ray will show your doctor how the vertebrae in your spine may have been impacted, while an MRI would show details about the muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues’ state.
Treating Whiplash
For mild cases of whiplash, a doctor may be able to recommend headache remedies that can be used at home which will be effective as well as safe. A combination of over the counter pain medication, cold and hot therapy, and gentle exercises and stretches is usually helpful. Pain medications should be used in moderation but can help, especially with anti-inflammatory properties, early on after your accident. Swelling is often remedied by ice, such as through a cold compress or even a bag of frozen peas. Cold therapy should be alternated with heat therapy to encourage blood flow in the area and reduce pain. Exercises and stretches can also help restore range of motion and keep your muscles moving. Any exercises should be approved by your doctor or physical therapist.
In more severe cases of whiplash, you’ll want to work with a doctor to treat your headaches and other symptoms. A constant headache can impact your daily life and should always be evaluated to ensure there is no severe injury behind the symptom.
