Many people with traumatic brain injury have headaches for some time after their injury. This comic talks about headache symptoms that often occur after a traumatic brain injury.

Headaches can get in the way of everyday activities. The infocomic includes information about four different types of headaches that people experience after TBI:

  • Migraine headaches
  • Tension headaches
  • Cervicogenic headaches
  • Rebound headaches

It also explains how you can track your headaches and work with your doctor to manage and prevent your head pain.

TBI and Headaches

Almost a full year after my Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) headaches were still affecting my life. my Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) headaches were still affecting my life.

More than 30% of people have headaches for some time after their injury. than30%of people have headaches for some time after their injury.

So, I talked to Dr. Kruse about it. She helped me figure out how to prevent them.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Here’s what was happening...

Getting a headache while at work

Getting frustrated with the printer getting jammed.

The headache gets worse.

Pain from headaches can cause frustration, make it hard to focus and remember. make it hard to focus and remember.

Can I leave early? I have a bad headache. I have a bad headache.

Another one? Maybe these are from your injury?

I hadn’t thought of that!

Maybe you should talk to your doctor?

Later, at the doctor’s office...

I’m afraid the headaches are from my injury. Do you think something is wrong?

Well, they could be from your TBI...

I’m mostly concerned that the pain is interfering with your life.

You should go to the emergency room immediately if you have a headache.

I can’t treat your headaches until we can know what type they are.

Migraine Headaches

Migraines happen when a part of the brain becomes very sensitive.

Tension Headaches

Cervicogenic Headaches

Moving your neck or holding your head in certain positions can make the pain from cervicogenic headaches worse. in certain positions can make the pain from cervicogenic headaches worse.

Rebound Headaches

How do we know what kind these are?

I’d like you to keep a headache diary so I have good information about what’s happening.

Just fill in the boxes every day with info about your headaches. We’ll go over it together after two weeks.

Two Weeks Later

The info from my headache diary showed us that my headaches were caused by stress.

I have tension headaches. Knowing this helped us develop a treatment plan.

Wine or cheese can be triggers for migraines.

For other people, MSG is a trigger.

Not having coffee can cause rebound headaches but for other people having coffee can be a trigger.

I still get headaches, but, now that I know my triggers, I get them less.

The two most important things I did were talking to Doctor K and keeping a headache diary.

Authorship and Illustration

Information Source of TBI and Headaches Infocomic

The TBI and Headaches infocomic is based on the factsheet Headaches after TBI. This factsheet was developed by Kathleen R. Bell, MD, Jeanne Hoffman, PhD, and Thomas Watanabe, MD, in collaboration with the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.

Related Resources for TBI and Headaches

For related resources, visit our page about headaches and TBI.