Posted by rozeklawoffice on September 17, 2011 under Mild Brain Injury, Post-Traumatic Headache | 
The most common symptom after a car accident is headache. In fact, headaches are so common following any type of trauma to the head or upper body that the International Headache Society (IHS) has created diagnoses classifications for post-traumatic headache. The IHS separates the post-traumatic headache into two stages, the acute phase vs. the chronic phase. The acute phase is the first 3 months following the car accident or other trauma, while the headache is classified as chronic if it persists following the first three months after the accident. The IHS also differentiates post-traumatic headaches due to traumatic brain injury vs. whiplash.
Headaches Attributed to Traumatic Brain Injury
The IHS further differentiates post-traumatic headache due to mild traumatic brain injury vs. moderate or severe traumatic brain injury.
The IHS classifies Post-Traumatic Headache Attributed to Mild TBI as the following:
- Headache within a week of the accident; AND
- Head Trauma with all of the following:
- No loss of consciousness or loss of consciousness of less than 30 minutes
- Glascow Coma Scale of greater than 12
- Symptoms or signs consistent with concussion
Importantly, the IHS clarifies that mild head injury can result in a “complex of cognitive, behavioral and consciousness abnormalities,” despite the following:
- normal Glascow Coma Scale
- normal neurological examination
- normal neuroimaging (CT, MRI)
- normal EEG
- normal CSF examination
- normal vestibular function testing
- normal neuropsychological testing
The IHS classifies moderateTBI or severe TBI as the following:
- Headache within a week of regaining consciousness; AND
- Head Trauma with at least one of the following:
- Loss of consciousness of more than 30 minutes
- Glascow Coma Scale of less than 13
- Post-Traumatic Amnesia of more than 48 hours
- Abnormal neuroimaging (CT, MRI) demonstrating traumatic brain injury, i.e. lesion, diffuse axonal injury, subdural hematoma, skull fracture
As mentioned above, if the post-traumatic headache persists longer than 3 months it is considered chronic.
Headaches Attributed to Whiplash
Classification of post-traumatic headache resulting from whiplash requires the following:
- Headache within a week of the traumatic event; AND
- History of Whiplash defined as a sudden and significant acceleration/decleration of the neck with neck pain
As mentioned above, if the post-traumatic headache persists longer than 3 months it is considered chronic.
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Find more information on Post-Traumatic Headache or Post-Traumatic Migraine
Posted by rozeklawoffice on March 23, 2010 under Mild Brain Injury, Post-Traumatic Headache |
Concussions are defined as a condition resulting from a blow to the head which can be caused by sports injuries, falls, construction site accidents, impact received in fights or any minor head injury. Concussions are also commonly caused by automobile and biking accidents. A concussion can affect memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance, and muscle coordination.
Many times, a concussion follows a few seconds of loss of consciousness; however, loss of consciousness is not necessary. Many times, a concussion does not result in damage to the brain and in most instances, does not result in any visible damage to the skull; however, a blow to the head that causes loss of consciousness may severely shake the brain causing brain damage without leaving signs of external injury.
Force will often bruise the brain causing the death of some of the brain cells in the injured area. Concussions are known to cause internal swelling of the brain. Since the brain cannot escape the rigid confines of the skull, swelling can compress the brain and its blood vessels and limit the flow of blood. Without adequate blood flow, the brain does not receive the necessary flow of oxygen. Brain swelling after a concussion has the potential to increase the severity of the injury. Neurosurgeons and other brain injury experts emphasize that although some concussions are less serious than others, there is no such thing as a “minor concussion.” In most cases a single concussion should not cause permanent damage. A second concussion soon after the first one, however, does not have to be very strong for its effects to be deadly or permanently disabling.
No matter how the individual is feeling after the incident, all concussion victims need to treat their injury seriously and see a doctor.
Mild injuries to the brain like concussions may not be observable in routine neurological examinations. Diagnostic tests will typically not show any changes. Therefore, diagnosis is based on the nature of the incident and the presence of specific symptoms.
One of the symptoms are Post Concussion Headaches (often known as post-traumatic headaches) that steadily increase in frequency and/or severity, over time. Post-concussion headaches are a common lasting side effect. The standard treatment for concussion is rest. For headaches, acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be taken. Post concussion headaches are often resistant to stronger narcotic-based medications. Other actions that a concussion victim can do following an accident and concussion injury are as follows:
1. Immediately see your doctor and explain your headache symptoms, specifically indicating the frequency and severity with which they occur.
2. Place yourself in a dimly lit, quiet environment as much as possible.
3. Moisten a washcloth with cool water and place it on the forehead and temples.
4. Rest more.
5. Drink a lot of water.
6. Return to normal activity levels only once symptoms are completely gone, and you have remained symptom free for a period identified by your doctor (generally at least 1 week).
The medical profession has found no relationship between the severity of the trauma and the severity and permanency of the post concussion headache. If post concussion headaches are still being experienced consistently after 6-12 months post-accident, they are most likely permanent in nature.
If you are experiencing post concussion headaches, it is critical for you to track the intensity, duration and frequency of the headaches. This information is critical to your physician in properly diagnosing and treating your condition. Download the Post Concussion Headache Journal. This information is also invaluable to your personal injury case. Accurate recording of post-traumatic headaches will allow your attorney to chart out the frequency of your headaches and demonstrate to the jury just how significant the headache condition is for the injury victim.
If you or a loved one suffer from post concussion headaches due to the negligence of another, be sure to contact an experienced Wisconsin Concussion Attorney.
Tags: accident and concussion, accident and head injry, accident and trauma to the brain, bicycle accident and concusion, car accident and concussion, concussion and brain swelling, concussion headache journal, concussion symptoms, headache journal, post concussion headaches, post-traumatic headaches, symptoms of a concussion, wisconsin concussion attorney, Wisconsin concussion lawyer, Wisconsin Drunk Driving Law
Posted by rozeklawoffice on January 27, 2010 under Back Injury, General, Personal Injury Cases, Post-Traumatic Headache, RSD | CRPS, Traumatic Brain Injury |
Persistent pain can cause depression or make it worse in those who are already depressed. This is haunting news for those injured in an accident by a negligent party. In my 14 years of representing the injured, I can not express how many times I have witnessed a doctor, insurance agent, defense lawyer and jury member dismiss an injured person’s complaints of pain assuming they were simply signs of prior depression.
It is important for doctors to note, and trial lawyers to point out, which medications are being prescribed specifically for pain due to an injury from the accident, rather than prior diagnosis of depression. Otherwise, it is too easy for defense lawyers, insurance agents, and jurors to identify the treatment with a prior existing condition of depression rather than pain due to a new injury.
There are many types of antidepressant medications that help people with persistent pain (from accident related migraines, headaches, brain injuries, back injuries, RSD, etc.) feel better and function better such as Tricyclic Antidepressants (Amitriptyline, Imipramine, Doxipine) and Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors (Paxil, Effexor, Prozac).
A patient’s doctor can help determine the best type of anti-depressant to help treat the pain and limit side effects. In trial, the individual’s lawyer should highlight the reason that the medication is being prescribed, either for depression, pain, or both.
For more on Post Traumatic Migraines, Post Traumatic Headaches, or Back Injuries.
Tags: anti-depressants and pain, antidepressant medication for pain, chronic pain and depression medication, Chronic pain and depression mendication, Depression and persistent pain, Effexor and pain, medications for pain, meidcation for chronic pain, pain and depression, Prozac and pain, Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitor and pain, Tricyclic Antidepressants for pain
Posted by rozeklawoffice on January 15, 2010 under Back Injury, General, Post-Traumatic Headache, RSD | CRPS, Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Vestibular Disorder, Whiplash Neck Injury |
Another great mobile tool I have come across that can help injury victims track their chronic pain to better communicate with their doctors.
The description below is written by the publisher Chronic Stimulation, LLC :
Chronic Pain is one of the most pervasive and most costly diseases in the World. Millions of people suffer with chronic pain and its insidious symptoms. For sufferers, it is critical to their medical care that they can effectively communicate the nature of their pain to their doctors. This is a difficult challenge since pain is one of the most subjective and personal experiences humans face.
Chronic Pain Tracker has been designed to improve the Patient-to-Doctor exchange of pain information. Using Pain Tracker, the patient can monitor three key pain metrics: pain intensity, location, and description. Sufferers of Chronic Pain know that each of these metrics can change day to day, or even hour to hour. This can make diagnosis and treatment of pain symptoms more challenging since patients most commonly describe their pain based on their most recent experience rather than using an evaluative process to statistically describe the typical pain symptoms being experienced.
Capturing Pain Data
With Chronic Pain Tracker, the user regularly makes a Pain Entry in the application. Depending on their needs/preferences, this may be once a day, or once every few hours. The entry process is designed to be intuitive and quick, while still capturing the necessary details about their pain. The following data points are captured for each entry:
Timestamp – this date/time marker is automatically generated by the application with no user interaction required.
Pain Level – using the familiar visual pain scale, the user selects their current pain level from 0 to 10
Pain Location – simply tapping on the body sections defines where the pain is being felt
Pain Descriptions – the user can select one or more adjectives in the table that best define the pain they are feeling
General Comments – the user has the option to provide any other details/information desired for the entry
Chronic Pain Tracker Lite is capable of tracking a maximum of 10 pain entries. This would, for example, provide 1.5 weeks worth of daily entries. Download the full Chronic Pain Tracker version for unlimited database entries.
Pain Analysis & Summary
With Pain Tracker, a user can automatically consolidate pain entries for a given time period and statistically analyze those entries. The application includes a series of pre-define reports such as “Last 7 days”, “Last 30 days”, etc. but also allows the user to define their own start and end dates for the analysis.
For more information on Chronic Pain Injuries.
