PCS symptoms w/o hitting your head?
 

Hello everyone – first off, kudos for creating such welcoming, supportive and informative environment.

Here’s my story- about 15 years ago, I decided to take up snowboarding. I’m not the most coordinated person in the world, so over the next few seasons, falls came frequently and some times violently. I was lucky during this time to be spared broken bones, blown-out knees or shoulders.

But I hit my head hard 4 times. My symptoms after each impact were limited to dilated pupils, mild “spaciness” and an overwhelming urge to sleep. No nausea, no motor skill or sensory changes. The next day I would wake up and feel as though nothing happened. I never went to the doctor after these incidents but assume with some certainty that they were all concussions.

Fast forward to last week’s cross-country ski trip. This was my first time on skis in almost 20yrs so I was a little rusty. During my 5 days on the trails I fell roughly 20 times, never once hitting my head. Most of the falls were spectacularly unspectacular, but jarring nonetheless. I’m tall and the xc trails are groomed to be rather firm.

As I hit the snow the 2nd or 3rd time, I felt a dull ache in my left temple. Since the pain was similar to a tension headache, I ignored it and continued skiing. This same pain would return after each fall and then remain constant after the first few falls each day. Then it would generally subside after skiing for the day.

As the week wore on, I would get this same pain if I turned my head too quickly or incredibly, when driving over a bumpy road! Fortunately, no other symptoms other than a mild “detached” feeling.

I’ve been home a week now and the “tension” pain in my left temple has subsided. I’m left with a lingering “all-over” low-level headache that’s nothing to complain about.

What has me somewhat concerned are the cognitive changes I’ve noticed: feeling like I’m in a daze, difficulty concentrating, memory lapses. Also feel like I have to move slowly and avoid walking too hard if that makes any sense.

Can you nice folks help me understand what’s going on here? How could a series of innocuous falls, in which I never hit my head, trigger symptoms so far above and beyond what I experienced after substantially much more violent falls a decade ago?

Has anyone else come away from a previous episode of head trauma symptom-free only to experience a myriad of symptoms many years later after a fall or head bump?

After I heal-up from this episode, is my brain so sensitized now to any type of trauma, regardless of how mild, that I can expect my symptoms to return if I hit a pothole in my car or ride over a rooty section of trail on my mountain bike?

Thanks in advance. Bless you all.

nb19,

I'm no concussion specialist or doctor, but I would like to warn you that if you are feeling these symptoms to proceed with caution and not overlook them. The brain has certain limits and it's important that we act accordingly when we feel symptoms because the brain is sensitized and often needs time to heal.

I myself am a living example of someone with the mildest concussion possible, yet an extremely bad case of post concussion syndrome. In October I continued to play competitive soccer on a headache that I had for five days. I have never been prone to headaches and probably had a total of 3 headaches in my entire life, yet for some reason I decided playing was more important than my health.

Long story short, 5 practices and 2 games later, I finally broke into tears on the soccer field from a throbbing migraine and decided to stop ignoring the headaches. My initial symptoms were extreme depression, throbbing migraines, exhaustion, fatigue, and random insomnia.

I rested and was making wonderful progress until about two months later when I was released to run and workout again. I fell into extreme depression, crying for hours a day about absolutely nothing. (I was never prone to depression before-always a happy and optimistic person by nature). I also experienced this airy pressure feeling/constant light headache that usually accompanied my depression.

I am now taking a semester off of college and probably unable to play soccer ever again. I am still struggling with post concussion syndrome on a daily basis and sometimes lose all hope, fearing that I'll never be the person that I was. Every minute of every day is a battle but I know that I will get through this.

All of this has led me to an understanding that you don't need to get knocked out or lose consciousness to experience a bad case of post concussion syndrome. Please learn from my story that if you do not give your brain the rest it needs, there will be consequences.

Every one has different symptoms and experiences with their concussions and post concussion syndrome but all I can say is please, please take good care of your brain and rest accordingly. If I would've sat out with my initial headache, I would still be living the life of my dreams and playing division 1 soccer.

Hope this has helped,

Kelly

Hi Kelly – thanks for the response and the good advice. Your story resonated with me because I played soccer competitively through high school. No D1 talent like you though. Sorry to hear about your experience but it's obvious you have what it takes to beat this stuff. All the best.

nb

nb19,

There is a condition called sub-concussive impact. It is a jarring of the brain that may or may not include any actual impact to the brain. I can give myself a concussion by shaking my head. Some brains are much more sensitive to movement that others. Prior concussions can create this extreme sensitivity to quick motion.

There are also neck injuries and strains that can cause concussion symptoms. There are neck muscles that connect to the skull above and behind the ears. These are frequently injured in whiplash like events. This may be your problem. The associated spasms can effect blood flow and other situations. Neck inflammation can effect vertebral blood flow.

Any cause of ischemia (lack of blood flow/oxygen to the brain) can cause concussion like symptoms.

So, to answer your question, No, you do not need to actually hit your head to suffer concussion symptoms.

My best to you.

Hi Mark - thank you for the response and all the info you provide on this board.

Most of my xc ski falls were backwards so I'm sure there was a whiplash component there. But my neck muscles don't feel tight or "spasmy" so I think the impact of hitting the ground and the resultant jarring of my brain might be the culprit.

You mentioned the consequences of shaking your head "no". I had a similar experience after skiing. Girlfriend ask me a question and I turned my head quickly to respond. Immediately felt the same pain in my temple that I felt each time I hit the deck skiing. That's nuts!

I never thought my neck muscles were spasmy either, until my PT was able to loosen them up. The issue is sometimes a matter of balance between right and left.

I would try to feel my neck or shoulder muscles and find nothing out of the ordinary. Then, she would see me and her first touch would put me in agony for a few seconds. Only spasmed muscles respond like that. My chiro who used kinesiology, could do a similar thing. After getting the muscles to relax, he could do wonder to the joints.

Seeing, or more likely feeling is believing. There are many believers on this forum.