Differential Diagnosis of Headaches Post Concussion

Concussion is a common injury that is often poorly identified and poorly managed. It can occur with a variety of mechanisms and affects all ages. These injuries can recover on their own but often (10-30%) of individuals will have persistent symptoms. There are a variety of symptoms that can be present after a concussive injury and often headache is one of the most common. Research has shown that individualized treatment results in the best outcomes secondary to the multiple systems that are impacted after these injuries.¹ A challenge to concussion management is that none of the symptoms that are often reported are unique to the injury itself. It is essential that clinicians who work with client's post-concussion have a clear understanding of the variety of possible contributing factors to the symptom presentation so that they can create a targeted plan of intervention. This individualized plan and understanding will ensure optimal patient outcomes.

This course will highlight the variety of physiological impairments and systems that can contribute to headache presentation. We will review differential diagnosis as well as targeted interventions to achieve optimal outcomes and patient recovery. The course will present a variety of strategies as well as case studies to help support differential diagnosis strategy. There will also be objective measures including questionnaires, assessments of the cervical spine,vestibular/oculomotor systems, and evaluation of the autonomic nervous system. Participants will be able to take these strategies and a targeted approach and be able to apply them the next day in the clinic.

Highlights

• Quickly improve your clients' outcomes and recovery byanalyzing the potential causes of headache after a concussive event.
• Objective measures including questionnaires, assessments of the cervical spine, vestibular/oculomotor systems, and evaluation of the autonomic nervous system.
• Differential diagnosis as well as targeted interventions to achieve optimal functional outcomes and patient recovery.

Target Audience: Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Athletic Trainers