Whiplash headaches can develop after an accident, causing pain at the base of the skull or throughout the head. Pain relievers and heat therapy can help, but severe or long-lasting pain may require medical treatment such as physical therapy or spinal injections.
A whiplash headache is a type of headache that a person can develop after being in an accident. Whiplash is a common injury that often occurs in traffic accidents and occurs when a person’s head suddenly bobs back and forth as a result of the collision. Many people are more familiar with neck pain that results from whiplash, but some people also develop headaches. Often, the pain is concentrated in the area at the base of the skull. Some people develop a whiplash headache soon after an accident, while others may not notice the pain in their head until hours afterward.
Whiplash is primarily described as a neck injury, but it can cause a range of symptoms, including those involving the head. It occurs from the sudden, forceful back-and-forth movement of the head in an accident. This movement puts strain on the muscles and ligaments in the neck and causes the pain associated with whiplash. A whiplash headache usually develops at the base of a person’s skull. Some people, however, may notice a headache that affects the whole head or just the forehead.
In many cases, a whiplash headache develops soon after an accident. For example, a person who has been in an accident often notices head pain upon waking up the day after an accident, although some people may notice it soon after. In many cases, the pain begins in the person’s neck and then appears to radiate from the neck down to the back of the neck. Interestingly, a person with the type of headache that starts in the back of the skull may also have shoulder pain at the same time.
Whiplash headaches can be treated with pain relievers. Over-the-counter pain medications often help relieve pain. In some cases, however, the pain is severe enough to require prescription medication. Some people also experience relief from applying heat to the back of the neck. On the other hand, people are often advised to avoid applying cold to the back of the neck in an attempt to ease the pain of a whiplash headache, as this may make the pain worse.
Over time, a whiplash headache should go away on its own. There are some people, however, who experience pain that lasts for weeks or even months after an accident. Physical therapy, acupuncture, and spinal injections can help relieve pain that is severe or long-lasting.
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