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Migraine LibrarySpecial situations

Post-traumatic headache after concussion or head injury

Headache after concussion or head injury can resemble migraine, but the context changes the assessment and treatment pathway.

About 2 min read · Australian context where available
Checking review recordSource references are available below.
KEY POINTS

The short version.

01

Headache after injury should not be assumed to be ordinary migraine

02

Symptoms can include migraine-like features

03

Persistent or worsening symptoms need medical review

In this guide · 7 sections

Why injury changes the pathway

Post-traumatic headache can share features with migraine including nausea, light sensitivity and throbbing pain. The recent injury itself is an important part of the diagnosis and determines whether imaging, neurological assessment or rehabilitation is needed.

Why post-traumatic headache after concussion or head injury needs its own context

Migraine management can change when post-traumatic headache after concussion or head injury is part of the picture. The same symptom or treatment question may need a different discussion because age, hormones, pregnancy, another illness, travel, injury or another clinical context changes risk and practical choices.

What may need to change

The useful next step is often not a completely different migraine diagnosis but a more tailored plan: what to track, which medicines or procedures need review, who should be involved in care, and what warning signs deserve earlier assessment.

Do not generalise from somebody else's plan

Special situations are exactly where an online treatment experience is least transferable. Use Clea to organise questions and evidence, then confirm personal safety and suitability with the appropriate clinician.

What to notice

The useful question is not simply whether post-traumatic headache after concussion or head injury happened once. Look for a repeatable pattern across attacks: when it appears, how long it lasts, what other symptoms occur with it and how much it changes normal activity.

  • Timing and duration
  • Frequency
  • Symptoms that occur with it
  • Impact on work, school or daily life
  • What you tried and what happened next

What to track in Clea

Record headache or migraine days, severity, associated symptoms, medicines used and the context around the episode. Several weeks of consistent observations are usually more useful than trying to prove a cause from one attack.

  • Headache and migraine-like days
  • Severity and function
  • Associated symptoms
  • Acute medicine days
  • Anything that changed around the pattern

How to use this at an appointment

Bring the pattern rather than a conclusion. A clinician can interpret post-traumatic headache after concussion or head injury alongside your examination, medical history, medicines, other conditions and any warning signs. Clea can help you turn your record into a concise appointment summary.

  • When did this begin?
  • Has it changed?
  • How often does it happen?
  • What else occurs at the same time?
  • What do you most want help with?
SOURCES AND FURTHER READING

Go to the original sources.

Medicine and treatment information changes.

Clea checks source material, but PBS listings, medicine information and treatment access can change. Confirm current details with the TGA, PBS, your pharmacist or treating clinician.

How Clea sources and reviews migraine information →
KEEP EXPLORING

There is always more context.