Can concussion trigger migraine?
Short answer
Yes. Concussion can initiate new migraine in people without prior history and can substantially worsen an existing pattern.
More detail
The neurological changes from a concussion — vestibular, oculomotor, autonomic, cervical — lower the migraine threshold. In some patients, the migraine pattern becomes the dominant feature of what is otherwise called 'post-concussion syndrome'.
Distinguishing post-traumatic migraine features from other post-concussion drivers helps direct care to the systems that are actually involved.
This information is educational and general in nature. It is not a diagnosis or a treatment plan, and it does not describe every possible cause of a symptom. Individual evaluation is required to determine what applies to any specific case.
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Migraine & Persistent Headache Care
Evaluation and individualized care for migraine, post-traumatic headache, and persistent headache patterns.
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