When I got into my car accident I sprained my neck. I had many people tell me that I should start massage therapy and soon I finally got into a massage therapist who specialized in treating people who had been in accidents and were going through a concussion. The place I ended up going to was at ATI physical Therapy. It helped with my headaches and my sprained neck a great deal.

The massage therapist said that some of my headaches were called tension headaches. The muscles in my neck were so tight that the pain would radiate up to my head, giving me a headache. If you or your loved one experienced whiplash or any type of sprain or strain it is highly possible that the headaches could be tension headaches. A large indication it is a tension headache is if the pain is around the temples or back of the head and neck.

If you cannot get into massage therapy right away I would recommend using a gel called Biofreeze. This is like Bengay cream but the Biofreeze gel and smell disappear and absorb into your skin when you apply it so you do not have the smell and gooey cream all over you like Bengay.

Using heat packs or taking a hot shower or bath with Epsom salts also helps loosen tight muscles.

When it comes to over the counter medications that work the best for me are: Alleve and Ibuprofen. These kill the headache pain but keep in mind that they do not help heal your concussion but rather numb the pain.

Other medications that may help you are Tylenol and Excedrin. These had briefly worked for me but my body quickly adjusted to them so they do not help.

I would recommend taking a riboflavin supplement which you can find at most drugstores. The riboflavin that is already in our body plays a large role in how our body makes energy. The headaches you are going through prevents the energy being made in your body so providing it with more can help aid that process.

To also help with giving your body more energy it is important to sleep. Your brain heals the best when you are sleeping and will give you relief from your headache as well as more energy to go throughout the day.

Hello there! I am a sixteen-year-old girl who is going dealing with the repercussions of three concussions and I wish to help others in familiar situations. The suggestions I will be providing are things that I have personally tried and the outcomes have been successful. I am going to be honest and tell you that I do not know if these tips will help you personally but I hope that they will provide some relief and comfort for you. You are not alone on this journey as i walk it along with you!

Best wishes,

Trinity Blaine

“I have a headache. Voldemort must be close.”

It happened so fast. One, two, three seconds and I had hit my temple on the back of the drivers seat in my friends car. Through the year and seven months I have had my concussion and all the chronic migraines that come along with it I have found headache hacks that prevent migraines and headaches. I hope these help!

1. I know it looks extremely dorky but if you have sensitivity to light I would recommend wearing sunglasses both inside and outside. Wearing sunglasses reduces the harsh light that your over dilated eyes have to process

2. Avoid processed sugars and foods because of the inflammation it causes in your brain. To counteract inflammation I strongly suggest taking omega supplements which can be found in drug stores in the health section

3. Eat lots of “brain food” which is healthy fats like avocadoes which helps promote good brain function and blood flow

4. Drink plenty of water so it is easier to distinguish if you have a headache because of your concussion or if you are dehydrated

5. Lay down in a dark room and apply an ice pack to where the pain of your headache is radiating from and leave it on for around 25-30 minutes to help reduce inflammation