Concussion Management For The Physical Therapist Practice Test

Headache patterns after a concussion fall into several possible trajectories, and one is defined by migraine-like headaches that occur after the injury. This is post-traumatic migraine. These headaches behave like migraines you might see without injury—often unilateral, throbbing, and worsened by physical activity, with sensitivity to light and sound and sometimes nausea. They can start soon after the concussion or be delayed, and may last days to weeks or longer. Recognizing this trajectory helps guide management that mirrors migraine care, including pacing activity, regulating sleep, and gradually increasing exertion while avoiding triggers. Other trajectories focus on different dominant symptoms. Vestibular trajectories center on dizziness and balance problems; ocular trajectories involve visual symptoms such as blurred vision or double vision; cervical trajectories revolve around neck pain and headaches that originate from the cervical spine.