Treatment of Post-traumatic Headaches in Children: A Systematic Review

Post-traumatic headache is a secondary headache disorder beginning within 7 days of head injury. We conducted a systematic review of the evidence for treatment of post-traumatic headache in children. Of 2169 unique articles screened, 12 were included. Most studies pertained to headaches after concussion. The authors of seven studies examined the effect of medications, 4 studied nonpharmacological therapies, and 1 studied the reduction of medication usage. Much of the evidence came from retrospective chart reviews, had low level of evidence, and had fair risk of bias. High-quality randomized controlled treatment trials are needed to guide the clinical management of this condition.