Serious Warning Signs Of A Spinal Cord Injury

Severe Headache

Patients with spinal cord injuries could experience a sudden, severe headache in the minutes and hours immediately following the injury. Most individuals describe this type of headache as the worst headache they have ever had, and some patients will also have severe pain in the back and neck. A sensation of extreme pressure may be present in the affected areas as well. Patients who have head, neck, or back pain after an injury are normally placed in a special collar. The collar limits head and neck movements to prevent further injury. To assess the severity of a headache, doctors may ask the patient to rate their pain on a scale of zero to ten. Pain medications can be administered to reduce the pain of a severe headache, and patients will be closely monitored. Doctors may touch the forehead, neck, and back to determine the precise location of the patient's pain, and CT scans or MRI scans may be requested to determine the underlying cause of the headache. Patients who have had any kind of spinal injury are at an increased risk of migraines, and they should follow-up regularly with their healthcare team to report any changes in headache intensity, frequency, or other symptoms.

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