Car accidents often result in injury to the neck and many thousands of people each year develop neck pain after being involved in a car crash. This type of neck pain is usually called whiplash injury and it receives a lot of focus in the media and online.
But its not only neck pain - headache after car accidents is surprisingly common too.
There are several reasons for this type of headache but it usually develops for the following reason:
The upper part of the neck is the source of two nerves that come upwards into the scalp to supply the skin and muscles around the back of the head. Branches of these nerves also run inwards around the base of the brain to join up with one of the main nerves of the skull - called the trigeminal nerve. These small neck nerves are called the greater occipital nerve and the lesser occipital nerve.
An injury to the neck triggers spasm and inflammation in the muscles and joints near to these occipital nerves. This in turn makes the nerves inflamed themselves and triggers pain sensation over the back of the skull - and we feel this like a gripping or pounding headache.
Some specialist doctors or osteopaths can direct treatment towards these nerves and can use this to relieve the headache.