Monday, May 28, 2012
Monday, February 07, 2011 Jussy asks

Q: i was involved in a car accident three years ago and ever since then my migraines have occured more frequently

and I have also been getting ice pick headaches. My neck is constanly in pain.

 

I feel tension 80% of the time in my neck and shoulders. This pain usually turns into a migraine that I believe to be a "tension migraine". The pain gets so bad sometimes that I am constantly trying to crack my neck. This usually relieves the pain right away. Sometimes when I breathe in really deep I can hear and feel the vertebra at the bottom of my neck pop. This happens while being still. I have also noticed that my hands shake extremely bad while writing or just on a daily basis. I have heard of cervical diagnosis' that are common or not common but want to know what it is that I have. After the accident I was in the hospital for 6 days being treated because of a collapsed lung. When I was released I visited a doctor who took x-rays but said everything was normal. I am worried that the hospital and doctor might have overlooked something major. Why else would I have these pains? I am still young, only 22, and my neck and upper back feel much older. Can anyone help?

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Answers (1)
Nancy Harris Bonk, Health Guide
2/11/11 11:13pm

Hi Jussy,

 

I'm sorry to hear you were in a car accident and had a serious lung injury. In addition you may have had a whiplash injury to your neck, but I really can't tell you if you did online, because getting a diagnosis online is not safe, nor am I  qualified doctor. 

 

I can tell you that that type of jarring injury can trigger more frequent Migraines and the best thing to do is see an expert who treats only Migraines and headache disorders. These doctors spend all day treating one condition, rather than a neurologist who treats so many different conditions like MS, stroke, and epilepsy. It's important to note that neurologists aren't necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.

 

Ice Pick headache is actually called Primary stabbing headache, and you can read more about this type of headache in Ice Pick Headaches - The Basics. And our information on Tension -Type Headache should be very informative for you.

 

 

One of the most important things is to get an accurate diagnosis. To simplify matters and make it easier for you to get information and treatment, doctors usually go by the gold standard for diagnosis, the International Headache Society's International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-II). Under ICHD-II. You can read more about the importance of a correct diagnosis in The Type of Migraine Does Matter.

 

I hope this helps,

Nancy

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By Jussy— Last Modified: 02/11/11, First Published: 02/07/11