El Cajon Chiropractor - Chronic headaches after whiplash injuries

A common problem after a car accident is chronic headaches with or without neck pain.  The source of this pain is irritation to the dura mater in the upper neck.  The dura mater is the outermost layer of the sheath which surrounds your spinal cord.  There are 4 pairs of small muscles that run between the base of your skull and the first 2 bones of your neck.  These muscles are called the "suboccipital" muscles ("sub" meaning "below" & occiput is the anatomical name for the base of the skull) Three of these muscles are attached to the dura mater.

The suboccipital muscles shown attaching to the base of the skull and the first  2 bones in the neck

During a whiplash injury the head is thrown forward, then back.  As the head is thrust forward, these tiny muscles are often stretched and/or torn.  Additionally the dura mater and the attached pia mater (another layer of the sheath surrounding the spinal cord) are stretched, causing great irritation and possible interruption of blood flow to the spinal cord and brain.  This is why many times a headache is often felt immediately after the impact of a car accident.

Illustration of whiplash showing the stretch-type injury of the suboccipital muscles

The dura mater is closely linked with intense headaches. This is why headaches often accompany meningitis (meningitis means inflammation of the meninges - the dura mater & pia mater are 2 of the 3 layers of the meninges or spinal cord sheath) as well as epidural (above the dura) injection.  If whiplash injuries are left untreated, the suboccipital muscles can begin to atrophy.  Without proper tone, the meninges are left unprotected and can cause the chronic headaches.

What your Chiropractor can do - Headaches have many causes.  A significant number of the causes are easily treated with Chiropractic adjustment of the neck.  If you're afraid of having your neck adjusted, call the office of a Chiropractor and ask what technique the doctor uses.  Many Chiropractors are trained in low-force techniques such as the Activator Technique.  If you've had an automobile accident recently or even in the distant past and you suffer from chronic headaches, you owe it to yourself to stop popping pills and get after the cause of headaches.  Your local Chiropractor can give you an examination and let you know if Chiropractic is right for you.

Dr. Dennis Barker DC is a Chiropractor in the Community of Fletcher Hills serving the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee and all of San Diego County.

Visit us at www.fletcherhillschiropractic.com and www.facebook.com/fletcherhillschiro