Are You Suffering From Headaches After a Concussion or Stroke? This Can Be Directly Related to Your Vision

Headaches and migraines are common problems seen following a stroke, concussion, or other traumatic brain injury. While there can be several direct causes of these symptoms following an injury due to sustained damage, one that can be overlooked is damage to the visual system.

Find out if you need to see an optometrist by taking the Double Vision Quiz

How Can Damage to the Visual System From a Traumatic Brain Injury Cause Headaches or Migraines?

Following a traumatic brain injury, the ocular muscles may need to exert additional effort in order to compensate for damage done to the visual system as a result of the trauma.

This extra effort often leads to eye strain, which in turn causes pain around the temples and forehead similar to a migraine. As a result, it is often incorrectly assumed that one is suffering from a standard tension headache or a migraine.

This is important, since a headache caused by eye strain requires a different treatment than a tension headache or migraine. For most headaches caused by visual problems, correcting that problem will alleviate the symptoms, if not eliminate them entirely.

How is a Diagnosis Made?

The best way to receive an accurate diagnosis of the cause of your headaches or migraines is to see our neuro-optometrist for a functional eye exam. This goes much more in depth than a standard eye exam can, and will be able to tell you with certainty whether you have a vision issue that may be causing your headaches. The results of this exam will also assist our doctor in understanding the underlying cause of your symptoms and create an effective treatment plan.

How Does Treatment Work?

Neuro-optometric rehabilitation therapy consists of highly individualized treatment, based on your unique situation. Treatment plans generally include exercises which will help you retrain your brain-eye connection so as to correct any damage done during your injury. A treatment plan may also include specialized lenses, prisms, and syntonics designed to ease your headaches.

How Long Does Treatment Take?

Length of treatment varies on a case-by-case basis, depending on individual situations. However, even in cases where it takes longer, you should start seeing improvements early in the process. Our neuro-optometrist will go over the length and strategy for your treatment during the functional eye exam.

Summary

Headaches and migraines are common symptoms experienced after strokes, concussions, or other traumatic brain injuries. While there can be several root causes due to damage sustained, damage to the visual system is one possibility which is too often overlooked. In cases where headaches experienced following a stroke or other traumatic brain injury are caused by issues with the visual system, they can often be eliminated by treating the underlying vision issue. Neuro-optometric rehabilitation therapy is an extremely effective treatment for these issues. If you are experiencing headaches or migraine following a stroke or other traumatic brain injury, Book an Appointment to schedule a functional vision exam.

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Testimonials

I haven't actually used the optometrist side, so my review is limited to the vision therapy offered. This office was recommended by my occupational therapist for the treatment of my double vision following a stroke.

Claire A.

Love this location. I had a brain injury accident from day one one. All the team make you feel you still important and hope in the horizon after when the medical system fell you miserably. Dr. Ikeda very professional and very understanding about your issue. Two tombs up.

Jim K.

My husband and I were immediately impressed with Dr Ikeda. I was hit by a car while cycling which caused broken bones and three brain injuries. The brain injuries caused double vision. Dr. Ikeda examined my eyes and got me started on vision therapy with his occupational therapist who specializes in vision therapy. She (Chris) is absolutely great. I am impressed with the array of tools used to help recover my binocular vision. I am doing things I never thought were possible (balance boards etc). Chris pushes me and keeps me motivated. I really enjoy my sessions with her. The office staff is always friendly and they have a wonderful appointment reminder tool that makes it easy to keep my calendar up to date. I am happy the rehab center at Little Co. of Mary recommended them!!

Teresa S.

The Vision Therapy is handled in a separate office through a different door from the shared waiting room. Chris, the vision therapist, has a wide and varied assortment of tools, equipment and resources to best evaluate and treat most vision issues. After just a few visits, my double vision became easier to control, using exercises developed during the therapy process. It was time well-spent.

Joe M.

I have been coming here since I can remember. I love it here. The staff is so amazing and nice. They explain everything they gonna do and never make you feel rushed. Dr. Ikeda has always been my doctor and I would never want another one. He is the doctor for my whole family and is always asking how everyone is doing. I am also so crazy about picking out my frames and have to try so many and each person who helps me take the time and lets me try them all on. I would never want to go anywhere else! I definitely would recommend this office to anyone looking for a great eye doctor.

Kayla W.

This is not for the eye exam but for the frames selection portion. I brought my prescription from Kaiser here with my VSP insurance. The reception staff was very polite and professional. Manny helped me to pick out frames and explain my coverage. Very helpful and patient not like the individual at the other place I rated here on Yelp. I was running late and he still helped me and was not bothered at all. I am so glad I came here ..........very pleased.

Very professional staff and pleasant.