Can´t yawn properly
 

When I try to yawn its feels like I can´t finish it. I just open my mouth and gasp for air, but don´t get past the point of satisfactory I normally would have after a yawn. Does anyone else feel this, and is it related to PCS/TBI? I am now a year into my PCS.

The literature says yawns are complex. Failure to complete or feel the completion of a yawn can relate to some PCS symptoms. It can relate to anxiety issues, anhedonia, and others.

What is your concern ?

In general my biggest concern is if I ever will come out of my PCS. When it comes to yawning its just uncomfortable not to be able to complete a yawn. I guess also I´m a littel concerned if I´m getting enough oxygen when failing to yawn. I only recently got aware of the yawning problem, so Im not really sure when it started, but I know I´ve never experienced this before my concussion.

I have this problem of incomplete yawns since my childhood. It feels like I am struggling to complete a yawn and try to make it more satisfying and complete by taking in more air but it just doesn't happen. Mine is not connected to PCS but its anxiety related perhaps. The more I become panicky while making it a more satisfying yawn the more I become anxious and the more I feel like completing my yawn and yawning becomes more frequent. It's a vicious cycle. Try to divert your mind in my opinion and not think about it. Consult a lung doc and explain him the situation. Good luck

are your jaw and neck muscles tight? That might restrict your ability to yawn.

Thanks for the input. Yes my neck muscles are really tight. They where before my concussion and now they are even tighter. I have especially a tightness going up from my neck and up behind my right ear. I also have a band of tigthness in my back head. I went to a physio for treatment, but it didnt help much so he pretty much gave up on me and told me there wasnt much else he could do. I now have been receiving massages which seems to have a positive effect, at least for a while, but it all comes back after a day or two.

I had this for a long time, just couldn't yawn properly like you l couldn't complete it. Really weird. It's resolved itself now, but it's taken over a year.

The sense of a completed yawn is entirely different that getting oxygen from a yawn. Anhedonia as related to yawning means the pleasure response that comes from a yawn does not happen. To explain it in another way, a normal yawn finishes with something similar to a very minor and mild after-orgasm like sensation. Sort of a release or coming down. This is a neurological function, not a breathing function.

troublehead, If you have tense muscles behind your ear, that often signifies a subtle upper neck injury. Some gentle chiropractic or physical therapy to help C-1 and C-2 find proper alignment is often very helpful. Read the links at the bottom of the Vitamins sticky up top. It mentions upper cervical chiro.

I had this problem but it was a dislocated jaw. It took a while to resolve itself. You might want it checked out by a doctor, preferably an ENT specialist.

Mine was resolved after chiro treatment and some cranial work - release was instant and able to complete a yawn thereafter - no more clicking either. Scan showed misalignment of C2.
Best of,

What kind of scan showed misalignment of C-2 ? Was it just treated by a chiro.

It appears there are 2 different issues being discussed.

One is being able to take the deep breath. Jaw problems can make it difficult to open the mouth wide to take a deep breath for a yawn. I dealt with this with a locked TMJ. I was only able to open my mouth a finger width. It took a year to slowly back to 2 1/2 finger widths. My PT did not myofacial release to help the muscles relax. I saw a TMJ specialist dentist and an ENT with expertise in TMJ. He suggested a BOTOX injection to weaken the TMJ muscles.

The second is the ability to finish neurologically. Some can take a deep breath but never get the sense of a yawn. The literature I read did not explain the physical cause of this lack of sensing a completed yawn. A relaxed diaphragm, a relaxing sort of buzz, and related sensations just do not happen at the end of the deep breath. They suggest it is part of anhedonia, a neurological disorder that causes a reduced sense of pleasure.

I've had Atlas correction. It did nothing for me, so I dont think thats where my problem is.

I can open my mouth normally (wide enough to bite an apple). I guess its neurologic then. I have been trying to yawn everyday now, and today on some rear occasions I was actually able to catch a yawn, with yawning sensation. Maybe I just need to retrain myself to yawn again.

A couple of Atlas corrections may not be enough. You may need to do some home therapy by avoiding bad head and neck posture while sleeping and resting. It takes weeks and even months for the ligaments to tighten properly to hold atlas in proper position.

I just order a LLLT system to try to help ligaments and tendons heal better. This is what I ordered. http://revivelighttherapy.com/produc...-light-therapy except I ordered it from Walgreens because their web site says it comes with a second LED head for red 625 nm light.

Mark that device seems to be a LED light therapy not LLLT (laser).. :confused:
[Powerful, medical grade, pain treatment LED lights ]

LED treatments will do similar to soft/cold/low level laser, but takes a lot longer to get results ( 15-30 min and more sessions) vs the low level laser which a spot treatment might only take 20 seconds.

I was hoping it was a low level laser for that price, I have been watching for the cost of LLLT to come down.
I really had some excellent & fast relief with the one my chiro used.

LLLT is also used to mean Low Level Light Therapy as well as Low Level Laser Therapy. The laser people try to say laser is better but watts/joules are the same either way. The laser people claim laser is directed better but the research shows no difference. What matters is the watts/joules and wavelength. ~980 nm is optimum but research shows 625 nm and up are beneficial at stimulating cellular repair. You can buy LED systems with a flexible wrap around application.

There are laser diodes. They have been using them in printers for decades.

btw, Sign up for the email notification at the Kathie Ireland web site and they send you an email with a 15% discount code. (enjoy15nov) http://revivelighttherapy.com/collec...-light-therapy
$84.15 is just 2 co-pays to see my PT with his expensive system.

It appears the big difference is the kind of FDA approval obtained. The LED has an exempt GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) approval so they cannot claim to treat a medical condition. They can only claim to treat the symptoms of a medical condition (pain) whereas the laser system can claim to help with healing.

Mine is being shipped. I'll report back in a few weeks. Any improvement with my painful shoulder will be worthwhile. I don't plan on using it for my PCS as of yet even though it is the wavelength research says helps with PCS. http://www.kurzweilai.net/light-ther...brain-injuries