Medication usage patterns for headache treatment after mild traumatic brain injury

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Trauma Care
• Pain Management

Background:

• Post-traumatic headaches are common after mild TBI and require effective management strategies.
• Primary care providers often manage these headaches, necessitating evidence-based treatment guidelines.
• Few studies have investigated the effectiveness of treatments for post-traumatic headaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe patient self-reported headache treatments within the first year after mild TBI.
• To analyze the types of headaches and their treatment patterns in mild TBI patients.

Main Methods:

• 167 participants with mild TBI reporting new or worsening headaches at 3, 6, or 12 months post-injury were enrolled.
• Headache types were classified using International Classification of Headache Disorders-2nd edition criteria.
• Medication use and self-reported relief were documented.

Main Results:

• Most headaches were migraine/probable migraine or tension-type.
• Over 70% used acetaminophen or NSAIDs, with only 8% using triptans for migraine phenotypes.
• Complete relief was reported by 26% of migraine and 70% of tension headache patients using medication.

Conclusions:

• Headaches following mild TBI are frequent and inadequately treated.
• Self-treatment with OTC medications offers limited efficacy for many patients.
• Further research is needed for evidence-based treatments and provider education.