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John S. Warner, MD
From the Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.

Arch Neurol. 2000;57:1778-1780.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

POSTTRAUMATIC headaches (PTHs) can be classified as either acute or chronic,¹ the latter persisting for longer than 8 weeks. The traumatic events that cause PTH include motor vehicle crashes, worker's compensation injuries, assault, surgical procedures, and simple falls or other household injuries. The principal site of injury is often the neck, lower back, or other places remote from the headache. The severity of direct trauma to the head frequently does not relate to the severity or duration of the headaches that follow.

Acute PTHs are frequent and seldom seen by a neurologist. Simple over-the-counter analgesics or mild narcotics usually provide adequate symptomatic relief. Acute PTHs rarely lead to litigation. Termination of the headaches usually occur within 2 weeks and by definition has to occur within 8 weeks.¹

The mechanism of acute PTH is unknown. Various factors, including local contusion of the scalp, minor subarachnoid hemorrhage, fracture . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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