Most headaches that begin after a collision are cervicogenic, which means the pain is generated by injured joints, muscles and nerves in the neck and referred upward into the head. That is why they commonly sit at the base of the skull, behind one eye, or on one side only, and why they worsen the longer the head is held in one position.
A headache after a crash can also be the first sign of a concussion. That is the reason the first visit is an examination rather than a treatment plan handed over on arrival.
Call 911 or go to an emergency department if any of these are present:
Anyone who lost consciousness, however briefly, should be assessed without delay. These are signs of a head injury that needs imaging now, not an appointment later.
A headache that begins after a collision is usually treated at the neck, because that is usually where it begins. The joints at the top of the neck and the muscles that attach to the base of the skull refer pain into the head, and they are what the examination looks at first.
Chiropractic care and Physical Therapy do most of the work: restoring rotation at the top of the neck, and settling the muscles that have been holding the head still since the crash. Acupuncture is available where it helps with pain and muscle tone.
If the headache is not settling, or if its pattern changes, the Pain Management physicians review the case and decide what the next step should be. Interventional procedures are performed in office at Northglenn, InterQuest, Mesa and Westgate. Spine injections are also performed at Lowry on specific days.
The emergency signs set out above are handled differently and urgently. They are not something to work through inside a treatment plan.
In a rear-end collision the head lags behind the torso and then snaps forward, and the joints at the top of the neck take the end of that movement. The nerves that supply those joints share a pathway with the nerves that supply the scalp and the area behind the eye, which is why an injury in the neck is felt in the head.
That shared pathway is also why treating the headache alone rarely holds. The whiplash treatment page covers the neck injury itself, and back pain after a car accident covers the rest of the spine when both are involved.
Where a claim is open, headache care can be billed to the med-pay portion of an auto policy, or to a lien where an attorney is involved. Where there is no claim, it is billed to your health insurance. Whichever applies is settled at the first visit.
Real-time translation is available through Lumi at every clinic. The routes are set out in full on the car accident care page.
Every clinic below has Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture and Pain Management on one chart, so care can move between them without a new referral.
Downtown out through the north, west, south and east suburbs.
Academy, InterQuest and Tenderfoot cover the north, central and south of the city.
Harmony in Fort Collins and our Greeley clinic serve Larimer and Weld counties.
Across the Valley, from the West Valley through Phoenix to the East Valley.
Often within the first 24 to 72 hours. A headache that begins later than that is still worth having examined, particularly if it is getting worse rather than easing.
Not always. Many are coming from the neck rather than the head, but the two can look similar early on, which is why the first visit is an examination.
With a sudden severe headache, repeated vomiting, unequal pupils, slurred speech, confusion, a seizure, one-sided weakness, or clear fluid from the nose or ear. Anyone who lost consciousness should be assessed without delay.
No. You can book directly, and appointments are usually available within the same week.
Care aimed at the neck: Chiropractic care, Physical Therapy, and Acupuncture where it helps, with a Pain Management physician reviewing the case if the headaches are not settling.
Accident care can be billed to the med-pay portion of an auto policy, to a lien where an attorney is involved, or to your health insurance. The route is set up at the first visit.
Holding the head in one position loads the injured joints and the muscles that are already working overtime to guard them. The pain usually builds through the afternoon and eases with movement.
At any Mountain View Pain Center clinic in Colorado or Arizona. Interventional procedures, where they are needed, are performed in office at Northglenn, InterQuest, Mesa and Westgate. Spine injections are also performed at Lowry on specific days.
No referral is needed to be evaluated, appointments are usually available within the same week, and accident care can be billed to med-pay or to a lien.
