Headaches seem to follow traumatic events. Is it just a coincidence or is there a reason for it? If you have recently gone through some sort of trauma -- a car accident, a sporting injury, a serious fall, a blow to the head or neck, or a similar event -- you may find yourself suffering from headaches just a short time later. Some people feel like this is just a natural part of getting injured and eventually the headaches will go away. This is not true. You do not need to suffer from headaches repeatedly. In fact, they may be doing more damage than you even realize. However, help is available.
If your head injury was serious enough to cause a concussion, you can have lingering problems from it. The head is situated at the top of the neck where the C1 vertebra is located. The C1 allows the head to have a great range of motion while it also protects the delicate brainstem. Even a mild blow to the head can cause the C1 bone to move out of place. If this occurs, the misalignment can put stress on the brainstem and cause it to malfunction and begin sending improper signals to the brain about what is going on in your body. A misalignment here can also act as a hindrance to the flow of blood and cerebrospinal fluid getting to and leaving the brain. This may be the reason you are beginning to experience those headaches after walking away without a scratch from that accident two weeks or even two years ago. The damage may have been done inside.
Visiting an upper cervical chiropractor can be the first step toward finding headache relief. We use a low-force correction that does not require us to pop or crack the neck or spine. Rather, we coax the bones back into their original position and allow them to move back into place on their own. This often results in relief in or even an elimination of headaches.