Are Post-Traumatic Headaches and Concussions the Same Thing?
By: Nataliya Zlotnikov Blog writer, editor: Lexy Dong, MScPT Student ∙ Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Introduction

Do you know the difference between a post-traumatic headache and a concussion? Do you know there are different types of post-traumatic headaches? Do you know rest may not be the best treatment for a concussion? Can you distinguish between a persistent headache and a migraine?

Concussions and post-traumatic headaches are increasingly prevalent in clinical practice and can be associated with many different conditions. It is often challenging to differentiate between the two and treat them accordingly.

What is a Post-Traumatic Headache?

Headache is the most commonly reported symptom among patients who have had brain injuries, but it is also the most poorly understood. The term “post-traumatic headache” is used to describe headaches that begin or get worse as a result of trauma to the head and/or neck. Some risk factors that are associated with post-traumatic headaches include mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a prior history of headache.  Post-traumatic headaches can be categorized as either acute or chronic. The headache is considered acute if it has lasted less than three months and it is considered persistent if it has lasted over three months. Types of post-traumatic headaches include migraine, tension-type headache, medication-overuse headache, cervicogenic headache, occipital neuralgia, and whiplash headache.

Post-traumatic headache encompasses many types of headaches, which means the term does not actually tell us anything about a headache’s specific characteristics. It is essential to understand the clinical characteristics of a specific headache in order to provide optimal treatment. Therefore, knowing how to differentiate between the various types of headaches that fall under the term post-traumatic headache will allow you to develop a more effective treatment plan. The International Classification of Headache Disorders is a useful resource that lists and classifies the different headache types and their diagnostic criteria.

What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a type of TBI which is caused by a blow to the head or a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. For a long period of time, it was thought that the best treatment for a concussion was to rest or lie in a dark room; however, this may not be the case anymore.

Meaghan Adams suggests getting your patients with concussions to exercise as soon as possible. The more the patient can keep up with their normal activities, the better their outcome will be. This does not mean make your patient run 10km during their first appointment, but it also doesn’t mean have them lie in a room with the lights off for a week. If your patient has a particular aggravating stimulus, limit the exposure to that stimuli; but, don’t fully remove it unless it is the only way your patient can function. You want to try and build up your patient’s tolerance to the aggravating stimulus to maintain as much normality as possible.

To see Meaghan Adams' answer on understanding post-traumatic headaches, please watch the video below.

Click here for the full course

In Meaghan Adams' Online Courses You Will Learn:

• The biomechanics of concussion and relevant anatomy and physiology 
• Why "post-traumatic headache" is a descriptor, not a diagnosis 
• To define post-traumatic headache, its classification, and its causes
• The ability to effectively take a concussion-focused patient history
• How to treat patients with the various presentations of post-traumatic headache in your own practice
• The six headache types that can be caused or made worse by physical trauma, including their pain characteristics, pathogenesis, and diagnostic criteria 
• Treatment strategies for managing post-traumatic headache 
• Clinical reasoning and decision-making skills related to the management of patients with traumatic brain injuries and headaches
  
  

In her main course Understanding Post-Traumatic Headache, Meaghan will help you to better understand these conditions and as a result, will help you better serve your patients and their caregivers.

More from Meaghan Adams

• Understanding Post-Traumatic Headache
• An Impairment Based Approach to Concussion Assessment and Rehab

---
Date published: 10 April 2024
Last update: 8 December 2025