headache/concussion?

Hey Guys,

I hope you can help. To give a brief background, I hit my head on my steps going to my basement 2 weeks ago (i didnt black out or lose conciousness). Since then, i've had a constant headache/pressure that seems to not want to go away. I went to the ER and had a CT scan which came out negative. I went to see my PCP and she said that all my neurological functions were good other than the headache. She sent me to see a neurologist and she said the same thing (however, she never mentioned anything about possibly having a concussion). The neurologist told me i shouldn't worry, that it will go away and prescribed Gabapentin and Naproxen which have not helped at all. I also was given vicodin to help with the pain - but all this does is disguise the pain for two hours.

I've also went to a chiropractor to help with my neck in case I may have had a minor case of whiplash - but this is not helping either. I've never had any migraine or headache problems in my past. I have it from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. It seems to worsen throughout the day.

I'm going back to see my nuerologist on Wednesday so I'm hoping we can come to same type of conclusion on what we can do to help sustain my headaches. I do what to note that i have had sinus problems in my past though i do not have any nasal congestion or symptoms that would lead to me believing that is the cause.

I was seeing if anyone has any opinions or ideas on what I can talk to my doctor about when i see her on Wednesday.

There are a few things that could be going on. My first thought is post traumatic headache. Here is a link to a thread from a while back:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=31&m=2019732

I would recommend reading through the link in the thread to the review article. If you do go the PT route as a supplement to meds, finding someone who specializes in trigger point therapy is a definite plus.

You would be surprised by how little force it takes to set off an episode in some individuals (especially those that are headache and migraine prone).

Bruxism? Yes, it can cause headache and is a very common trigger for headache and/or migraine. In the majority of cases, a specialized hard mouthguard made by your dentist solves the problem (along with eliminating common bruxism triggers e.g. smoking, caffeine, minimizing stress, etc. ).

Unless you are clenching or grinding throughout the day though, it would seem weird that the pain would be constant and would get worse throughout the day (b/c of the bruxism). The timing of the headache and fall is too coincidental. I think the most likely scenario is post traumatic headache alone is the root of your issues, or post traumatic headache in combination with bruxism is tipping the scales to cause this episode.

Was the CT of just the head or of the head and neck? Did the chiro say anything, like... oh, such and such feels out of place?

Best of luck!

That's pretty normal. Having something like this happen, changing your routines, putting things on hold, etc. definitely isn't fun. It can be crazy/anxiety making.

If you read that link, you'll see that a lot of times these things work themselves out. There are some suggested first line medications (gabapentin isn't one of them, but it is newer and it's popularity post-dates the article). As an FYI, headache/migraine preventative meds aren't like medications you get for an infection. They don't kick in quickly. You have to give them time to work (weeks to months). After two weeks on gabapentin it's not surprising that you're not feeling relief yet... give it time.

If you want to speed up the healing process I think PT with a trigger point specialist (note: all PT's receive training in trigger point therapy, they do not all specialize in it), along with your meds is the way to go. Talk to your neuro about it on wednesday.

Best of luck!