Severe Headaches Nearly 3 Weeks After a Minor Bump

[Tony_C_66]

Nearly 3 weeks ago, my 38 year old, fit and healthy wife banged her head on a cabinet in a shop. She was squatting down looking at some items in a box on the floor, and then stood up impacting her head on a cabinet that protruded from the wall above. The cabinet is wooden but with hard/sharp edges (photo attached). No loss of consciousness, no major swelling, and no cuts/bleeding. She has gradually moved from Paracetamol and Ibuprofen to Co-Codemol and Diclofenac Sodium, and most recenly to Dihydrocodeine 30mg. She hates taking medicine, but has been on this stuff around the clock since the injury; yet the headaches occasionaly 'burn through' the medicine. She describes the pain as equivalent with childbirth contractions. In the space of 17 days, she has been to A&E 3 times and the local GP surgery a couple of times. She shows none of the tell-tale symptoms of more severe brain dysfunction (e.g. uneven pupils, vomiting, loss of vision/balance), which I guess why no one has suggested a CT or MRI scan. The pain is mainly localised to the area of the impact which she describes as both a burning sensation as well as a pressure like someone was pushing down on her head with their fist. Although, less frequently, she experiences more severe stabbing or cutting pains and a general ache in the right cheek. One final odditiy is that she also experienced the 'ear popping' that you'd get when ascending/descending in a plane, to coincide with the headaches a few days ago.
I'm trying to console her and keep the house running so she can rest, but she's getting really impatient, and very emotional thinking something really bad is going on and that hasn't been detected. The only thing that soothes her (when the pain burns through the meds) is a warm bath.
Help, anyone who has had anything similiar....what worked for you? Did you get a scan? If so, did it determine anything?
I'm not a doctor of course, but I think she may have damaged one of the cranial nerve pairs near the top of her head and/or she is having trouble regulating her intracranial pressure; but if so, what can we do to treat/cure it?
Sorry it was a bit long...thanks for taking the time.

[ggreg]

Tony,
Thanks for the feedback... I had forgotten how rubbing my feet helps me breathe better, for example.  When I work the toes, it automatically makes my lungs open up.  So, I'm going to rub my feet for a few days, see if that helps my headache.  I'm glad you got those knots out of your wife's neck and she is feeling better!
GG

[Tony_C_66]

Thanks for the post, ggreg. As it happens (thankfully), since my post, things have got a bit better. For a start, she's dropped the codeine-based meds, which oddly we've discovered can be a 'cause' of headaches as opposed to a 'treatment.' She's now on 500mg of Paracetamol 4x daily and Diclofenac Sodium 50mg 3x daily; and she had a better day. So good news-- no codeine, 1/2 reduction of the paracetamol, and feeling better.

You are also correct about the deep massage, which I have been doing a while; but just last night, I did it again and I could feel the tension-knots in her upper back/lower neck. Rubbing those knots helped her to drop off to sleep.

One final thought, generally..we have a good friend who is a Reflexologist, who said she couldn't treat my wife due to insurance reasons, but she described to me what I could do myself. Until now, I've never had a reason to either believe or disbelieve this sort of 'alternative' treatment; but I can tell you that my wife has reported some light relief when I've manipulated her big toes and the tips of the remaining ones. I'm not swearing by it, but it appears to have helped her a bit.

Thanks again and also hope this post is useful to someone out there.

[ggreg]

You can ask for a CAT scan to resolve the issue of whether there was brain damage of some kind.  Your general physician can order one.  Go with your wife to see him to make sure he will do this for her.  They should do one of her head and cervical spine.  

But what is just as likely is when she banged her head, she also probably wrenched muscles in her neck, which they wrap up around the skull, and that can produce a terrible headache.  The reason I think that may be the problem, absent the scan, is because my husband has daily headaches from his neck being wrenched badly a few years ago, and the only thing that helps him is what helps your wife, which is a hot bath.  He refuses to get a scan, so he's kind of stuck for now.

You can try giving her a nice deep massage of her back, shoulders, and arms, from below the shoulder blades and up around the base of the neck.  If this doesn't work, a Swedish massage therapist can do a very good job of it, she'll need several visits.  She herself can do some very easy stretching exercises of the neck and arms.  Since bathing all the time isn't possible, you can either put a warm hot water bottle on the area or get those smaller packs from the drugstore that you heat up in the microwave.  Wrap a tea towel around whichever one you use, so it doesn't burn her neck.

I myself have had a headache for almost a week now, I do not know why as I never have headaches, and I take some strong medications for lots of problems with my back, and while they help that, they do nothing for my headache.  I am at my wits end.  So, those she takes drugs ain't gonna help her.  I am glad you are a good husband and trying to get to the bottom of this.  Hope this helps you some.