Nearly 80 percent of people who experience whiplash develop a chronic headache, also known as cervicogenic or neck-related headache.
The sudden and extreme back-and-forth motion of whiplash can injure the cervical facet joints, causing inflammation and irritation of the nerves in the brain stem and spinal cord.
The symptoms of whiplash headache are often indistinguishable from any other headache. Pain can occur in any part of the head, neck and jaw. Symptoms may occur immediately after an injury or several days later.
Whiplash headache can initially be treated with physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications. If pain persists, steroid/anesthetic injections in the facet joints of the spine may provide temporary relief, or radiofrequency pain blocks may provide long-term relief.
Click here review an illustrated example of Whiplash Headache.
(Information obtained from www.viewmedica.com 2012 Swarm Interactive).