How do you distinguish migraine from post-concussion symptoms?
Short answer
The two overlap significantly and often coexist. Careful history, examination, and testing help identify how much of the picture is migraine biology versus other post-concussion system involvement.
More detail
Post-concussion patients frequently develop or worsen a migraine pattern, and post-traumatic migraine shares many features with other post-concussion complaints — dizziness, visual sensitivity, brain fog, fatigue, activity intolerance.
Distinguishing the layers matters because each responds to different interventions. Vestibular, oculomotor, cervical, autonomic, and migraine-specific treatments are chosen based on what the evaluation actually shows.
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.
Learn more about Migraine & Persistent Headache Care