Assessment of Headache and Psychiatric Issues in Concussion

Course overview

Headache is the most common complaint after concussion, affecting up to 85% of individuals. Post-traumatic headaches have various etiologies and may be due to medication overuse or cervicogenic, psychiatric, ocular, and migraine influences. Physical and occupational therapists who manage patients after concussion will benefit from understanding how to differentiate the various types of postconcussive headaches and the management that can be applied. Mood and psychiatric conditions are also known to affect recovery in persons post concussion. Psychiatric issues occur frequently after a concussion, and therapists must manage these concerns in the course of treatment. The most common mood and psychiatric disorders will be discussed, as well as the role of sleep in recovery after a concussion. We will provide you with tools that can be utilized to assess mood, and intervention ideas for persons with mood or psychiatric comorbidities.