mack,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. You situation sounds familiar. I managed the soccer team my junior year because I was not allowed any more contact sports either.

It sounds like you need some intense diagnostics of your neck, especially your upper neck. It is very possible to get a dislocation of C-1 (atlas) to occiput (skull). Most images will not show this. You need to have your head turned sharply to the left and right during the image to show the displacement.

If you have tender spots behind your ears, this is a good sign of this injury. You should be icing your neck frequently. You should also be practicing good neck posture, especially when you are relaxing or sleeping. A neck collar may be recommended. It takes 6 weeks minimum of proper posture for the soft tissue (ligaments) to strengthen.

You likely have other neck issues possibly as far down as T-2 or T-3. Do you get tingling in your hands and acid reflux/indigestion ?

I would not consider any of those concussions that resulted in hospitalization as mild. Concussions need to be graded by longer term symptoms rather than first presentation.

So, did your team have a good season ? My sophomore and junior year team was the best in the state of Connecticut during club play but our HS coach changed to an Italian for junior year and he did not know most of our team were going to be at a Portuguese bachelor party the night before our state tournament qualifying game. Even the best can't play hung-over. An undefeated season ended in a defeat in the state qualifier. And I had the honor of swimming for the balls that went into the polluted river next to our soccer field.

My best to you.