Cervical damage?
 

Hi Everyone,

I fell about 1 month ago and hit my should and left side of my head pretty heard. I think I felt my brain move I hit so hard. I never passed out and remember everything. I started have severe headaches about 2 weeks ago and my arm has gone numb once. The doctors seem to think it is post concussion syndrome but I think I may have done damage to my neck. I can't see a neuro until next week and wanted to see if anyone had any advise on how to relieve the pain. Cold or hot compress? Lay flat on by back with a roll under my neck? Any suggestions?

some of these might have that info for you-
Chiropractic care info- a good one can help with many symptoms:
http://www.upcspine.com/self.htm
http://www.uppercervical.org/subpag...b/about_faq.php
http://www.spineuniverse.com/index.html
http://www.coloradochiropractic.org/.../glossary.html

PLEASE ***DO NOT*** see a chiro...
 

...until you find out what happened to your neck!! Get an MRI first, of your head and neck. Have it checked very carefully for any abnormality, including Chiari Malformation. If even a "slight" Chiari is found, it can result in symptoms, and chiro will make it WORSE!!!!!


Good luck!

LIZARD :)

Agree!

Stay the heck away from Chiro's!!! I don't care who says what or what websites you read. STAY AWAY from them until you KNOW what is going on. If you have a neck injury of any kind, a manipulation could make you worse if not kill you. I am sorry if I am sooo abrupt but every time I read about someone using a Chiro I about go balistic! Let a Neurosurgeon tell you what you need to do. I agree with Lizard, get an MRI asap! In the meantime I don't think heat or ice would hurt and even a cervical pillow or cervical collar perhaps. All I am really saying is don't run off and do something on your own (Chiro's) until you KNOW EXACTLY what is going on.

I KNOW not everyone has a good experience with a Chiropractic Doctor... but...NOT ALL CHIROPRACTORS ARE BAD!!!

Here is a site that lists the educational requirements for a Chiropractor.... (I have no association with this doctor just passing on that it has good information regarding educational requirements)
http://www.drgrisanti.com/mddc.htm

Here is a site that has answers to many frequently ask questions regarding Chiropractic. (I have no association with this doctor just passing on that it has good information regarding chiropractic)
http://www.kerkhoffchiropractic.com/pages/faqs.html


With choosing any doctor... ASK QUESTIONS!!!


A good Chiropractor will have you fill a large number of forms in order to get a great amount of information regarding your medical history, how active or inactive your lifestyle may be, what your current reason for seeing him/her is, etc....


He/She will also take x-rays and perform other appropriate exams before ever adjusting and will only adjust if it is safe and necessary.

I probably should have added all the suggestions on finding a good DC or any Dr:) but my hands were hurting at the time I replied so i just copy/pasted my links.

The important thing is to find good DCs, MDs , PTs that listen to you and will search deep to find your cause of pain and do the best treatments for you.

Yes, the important thing is to find a SPECIALIST FIRST and ASK QUESTIONS as I have already stated.

I was not saying all chiros are bad. Did you even bother to read what I said?? I said some conditions can be worsened by chiro, and before you go running to one, you should find out what the CAUSE of your symptoms is. If the cause is something neurological, such as Chiari Malformation, chiro will WORSEN it. It doesn't matter how good the chiro is; symptoms from Chiari will worsen without surgery, and manipulation of the head and neck will aggravate them and worsen the herniation. If your brain and spine are normal, you may very well benefit from chiro, but it can be lethal to the wrong people, and you may not know you're one of them unless you get checked out first.


LIZARD :)

Yes, you MUST be very careful . The Chiro should take x-rays at the first visit and then see what the problem is. Discuss it.
My chiro is a life saver to me as my back frequently locks up, and only he can free it up. But I don't get my neck manipulated any more. I never was comfortable with that being done, and since he knows that it is arthritis he leaves it alone.
But the back treatment for me is excellent.

It's important to note--again--that x-rays won't pick up Chiari; only MRI can, so please get the MRI first, and if you hear any comments like, "There's a tiny abonrmality in the cerebellum..." make sure to get it checked out further. Even a nearly imperceptible difference in cerebellar structure can lead to serious problems that can be made worse by chiro.


LIZARD :)

gagracie,

I agree with Lizard and Peter. For now, forget all the Chiro bit. Don't even bother with one. The bottom line is you hit your head, have severe headaches and your arm is going numb. You didn't say if you are seeing a Neurosurgeon or a Neurologist. But in either case they can order the MRI's for your brain and cervical spine and will rule in or rule out whatever may be causing it. A Chiro is NOT trained to detect the subleties as a spine doc is. I don't care if they have the best credentials in the world; they do not have the training a NS or an OSS has. Let the Neuro; whoever that might be, go over your MRI's and THEN tell you what you should be doing or not doing or what they see. I talked to my spinal PM once about Chiropractic care. He is NOT against them. But what he told me was...NO SPINAL MANIPULATIONS OF MY NECK EVER! He DID say that they were helpful for releasing spasms but there is NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE out there proving they can realign your spine. His words were...physical impossiblity...the only way they you can realign your spine is to have rods put in. And that was just an example. He said he had patients that swore by them. But he wants the scientific proof and it just does not exist.

So, what I did was to go ahead and make an appointment with a VERY REPUTABLE Chiro. And I only made it to help with muscle spasms. Keep in mind I already knew EVERYTHING that was going on in my spine. OMG! What a bill of goods that Chiro tried to sell me. Everything he said about my spine was so off the mark it wasn't funny. Plus, he wanted me to sign a contract. Wrong answer! I wasn't about to be hooked into that. So, I took everything he had said BACK to my spinal PM. And my spinal PM about had a heart attack! And he told me...good thing you didn't proceed! And I agree! My brother and my brother in law both have been seeing a Chiro for their backs for a long time. Well, guess what? It was just last year they were both referred to a spine doc. Why? Because the chiro care just made them much worse.

I am sorry but it is such a big waste of time and money UNLESS a SPECIALIST orders it. I haven't known a spine doc yet that has referred anyone I know to a Chiro. If anything, it is PT not chiro care. Or maybe sports medicine therapy, aqua therapy, light massage, etc. But nope, no doc of mine has ever mentioned or even suggested chiro's.

Hi I'm Donna and I have a little more to say and I can totally relate to all thoughts.

I'm a recovering yes, recovering PCS (Post Concussion Syndrome) I hit
my head and shoulder all two years ago. It took lots of work from a
Physical Therapist, to get my neck to release the stress.

Now I have had just recently a shoulder with bursitis, but its just now
being figured out its probably not been really that. It worked the things
that we did for that. Yes, I saw a orthopaedic, that my primary sent
me too. He did xray's to rule out other things. Found nothing sent
me for physical therapy, I was already there any way for other reasons.

But the pain, then moved to my neck, and it was such that I couldn't
move my neck, so I called my primary told her nurse, what was going
on. Explained that the PT I use for all neck, shoulder, and someother
things. Has always questioned whether I had ever had x-rays of
my neck, because there was tingling and numbness and other things too.

And now my neck was stiff and I had a headache all the time. I thought
I would just ask what she thought. I got a call back in 5 minutes or
so, go for x-ray. And I went next day. And within 2 hours. I got a
call something there, go for MRI. I'm scheduling when can you not go.

I went the friday. Got call the next Monday, and wow, I was in with
a pain management doctor the next Wednesday.

I have bulging cervical and I've had one epidural to help with pain.
I do PT with my favorite, and she wont do things if its not safe.
And then I'll have another eqidural. And if that doesn't work
I have another plan.

I hate to think about the 3 rd plan. But if I had listened to some
of the people in my life that said, go see a chiro practor. With out
asking my PT friend that I really thought a lot of. SHe told me, that
I needed to really wait it out. And to try all the things that the professionals
in my world came up with first. BEcause in my case it was definate damage.

And she didn't want me to have more damage, that she could n't help me with.

Donna