Headaches & Dizziness after a Car Accident Impact

At Blue Heron Chiropractic, we take headaches very seriously. Headaches associated with trauma and with dizziness are always a concern. There are number of questions to be asked in order to have the right information – for example, is this the worst headache you have ever had, and is it worsening? Is it located inside your head, or coming from the muscles at the base of your skull? Can you feel it in the muscles outside your skull? Is this headache associated with a head impact, as in did you bump into the steering wheel or hit hard against the back rest?

Is your dizziness a feeling of lightheadedness, or are you experiencing vertigo – with the room spinning or the sensation of falling to one side or the other? Are you experiencing blurred vision, and are you disoriented or slurring your words? These are very valid questions, and the Staff or I will ask you about them when we call you back. You should definitely consult us as soon as possible or, if this appears to be worsening, do take this seriously and go to Urgent Care or consider calling 911. In some cases, it’s not best to try to lay down and sleep such a thing off. In the clinic, we will be able to diagnose you quickly, and get you the kind of care you need.

In some cases, you may have a concussion, or even a traumatic brain injury. The good news is that if you are walking, talking, and sitting there navigating the web and reading this webpage, you are probably not in the most drastic circumstances, however, we should  take this seriously, definitely get you examined, and it at least get an x-ray of your neck, and the base of your skull. If you are dizzy, be careful about driving, and call us for transportation considerations. In my clinical experience, headaches are one of the things patients come in to me saying “never completely went away after that prior car accident”. We seek to change that.

Remember, for “the worst headache of your life”, I would consider sending you to Urgent Care first so we can make sure your condition is stable. Consider a local facility like Portland Urgent Care on 41st & Sandy; call us first – tell us you are going – then tell them we sent you and they will send you back down to us (and you can insist). Remember to call and speak with my scheduling service. While you may have to leave a message, I will get an email immediately, and as long as it’s not the middle of the night, I will start thinking about you sooner rather than later. Let’s take this seriously now so that we may laugh about it later.  Don’t wait – call us.