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Factors Associated with Sport-Related Post-concussion Headache and Opportunities for Treatment

  • Concussion and Head Injury (A Finkel, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Pain and Headache Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this review is to (1) describe factors both pre- and post-injury that are associated with post-concussion headache, (2) describe the influence of post-concussion headache on recovery following concussion, and (3) provide potential post-concussion treatment options that may reduce the burden of headache, as well as other symptoms to facilitate recovery.

Recent Findings

Various factors may be associated with post-concussion headache presentation. These may include pre-injury or historical factors such as sex, family and self-history of headache and migraine, concussion history, and mood disorders. In addition, post-injury presentation factors for consideration may include injury mechanism, symptom clusters, cervicogenic dysfunction, and post-concussion physiologic dysfunction. Despite this complex interplay of factors, many treatment options may improve headache symptoms and recovery post-concussion including rehabilitation programs focusing on deficits such as visual-vestibular dysfunction, sub-symptom threshold exercise, and potential pharmacological interventions.

Summary

Concussion is a complex injury that results in a variety of sequelae with headache being one of the most common. Understanding factors related to post-concussion headache presentation and the available options for treatment may improve patient care and outcomes post-concussion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 Fetzer Hall, CB# 8700, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Johna K. Register-Mihalik, Christina B. Vander Vegt, Michael Cools & Kevin Carnerio

  2. Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Johna K. Register-Mihalik

  3. Curriculum in Human Movement Science, Allied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Johna K. Register-Mihalik & Christina B. Vander Vegt

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Michael Cools & Kevin Carnerio

  5. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Kevin Carnerio

Authors
  1. Johna K. Register-Mihalik
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  2. Christina B. Vander Vegt
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  3. Michael Cools
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  4. Kevin Carnerio
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Correspondence to Johna K. Register-Mihalik.

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Conflict of Interest

Christina B. Vander Vegt, Michael Cools, and Kevin Carnerio declare no conflict of interest. Johna K. Register-Mihalik reports grants from NOCSAE, CDC/NCIPC, NFL, NCAA-DOD Grand Alliance, other from Allied Health Education, and other from Senaptec LLC, all outside of the submitted work.

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Register-Mihalik, J.K., Vander Vegt, C.B., Cools, M. et al. Factors Associated with Sport-Related Post-concussion Headache and Opportunities for Treatment. Curr Pain Headache Rep 22, 75 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-018-0724-2

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