Headaches can occur after an auto accident without enduring a head injury. For instance, whiplash can cause the muscles and other tissues in the neck and shoulders to become tense, which puts more pressure on the head and causes headaches to worsen. Essentially, any form of injury to the upper back (cervical spine) can cause added pressure on the head, resulting in headaches and dizziness.

Conversely, migraine headaches may be a direct result of a head injury. These types of head injuries can seem impossible to overcome without medication or painkillers. This is when dizziness becomes more frequent based on the amount of constant pressure on the brain. The brain will absorb most of the impact when an auto accident occurs, and the head is struck.

Unlike the body, the brain is not held in a stable position, so when the head is jolted forward or backward, the brain will endure three major dramatic hits. When the head is jolted in any direction, the brain first slams against one side of the skull, and then gravity pushes it to the other side, where it again makes contact with the skull. The third impact is the settling of the brain. In this case, the brain is feeling the pressure from the first two hits, and because the brain may begin to swell, this also adds pressure to the surrounding areas of the brain, such as the nerves to the spine, the muscles, and tissues in the head. All of this contributes to the headaches and dizziness that a person feels.