Head sensitivity recovery
 

Hi all, I received a concussion about 2 months ago from boxing however I did not take enough recovery time and returned to training too soon which seems to have brought on post concussion syndrome since then.

Symptoms I have experienced have been vertigo, slight dizziness at times, trouble concentrating which for the most part have gone away the only symptom that seems to remain is that my head seems quite sensitive to noise and movement.

It feels like when I walk my head is unstable and is jarring my brain, I also notice it during car rides or any other activity that moves my head around. Loud noises such as clanging of pots and pans also seems to bother me more than it should.

I was just wondering what people's experiences were with recovering from these sorts of symptoms, I have read some stuff about vestibular exercises do people think that could be helpful?

Any suggestions?

james,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

You said " I received a concussion about 2 months ago from boxing however I did not take enough recovery time and returned to training too soon which seems to have brought on post concussion syndrome since then."

What symptoms did you still have when you returned to training ? Did you take hits to the head, even with head gear on ?

I have the same exact symptom of head sensitivity and feeling of brain moving inside my skull from bumps. This symptom has literally made me a vegetable and I can't go outside or do anything. I am curious to see what others have to say of their recovery from this symptom.

I noticed when I tried to return to training a few days after the initial concussion that my head was sensitive, so much so that when I was holding pads for a training partner I could feel the impact in my head at first I didn't realise what this was so trained through it and even sparred later that day. I felt fine but then tried going for a run a few days later and the running made me feel much worse, when I got home I felt like I was concussed after just running with symptoms like mental fatigue, lacking in concentration. At this point I realised something was wrong so stopped all training and activity, but I was finding I would experience symptoms if I did anything even talking to people was an effort and irritating my head (as in I felt sensitive to the noise of holding a conversation).

The first couple weeks were quite bad, I tried to rest as much as possible but symptoms came on quite easily even experiencing vertigo every time I stood up too fast. The symptoms have went down sine then it has been around 2 months almost but I am still sensitive to noise and to moving my head around.

It sounds like you need to continue resting your brain. You might look into vestibular therapy.

Once the brain become sensitive to movements, it can take some time to recover. Some of us have to learn to live with a brain that is sensitive to quick movements and avoid such movements.

Have there been any studies about this head sensitivity, or any inklings as to why some are more sensitive after an injury? Is it really our necks that are sensitive, are our meninges somehow damaged and thus less able to absorb impacts, or are our actual neurons simply more susceptible to injury, or is it anxiety (or some combination of the above)?

I've never seen any studies or even comments as to why this sensitivity develops.

Mark do you think this sensitivity is psychological? My neuro was so confident and said this is due to my anxiety. However I am somehow not convinced and think this must be some organic damage as most people seem to complain of the same exact feeling of brain jarring inside our skulls from bumps and movements.

Your neuro is a classic neuro. If he cannot image the injury, it does not exist. This sensitivity to motion can be attributed to the brain moving inside the skull, vestibular issues, and/or upper neck issues. I seriously doubt there is any psychological component other than the anxiety caused by the mental confusion that often follows the head movement. The mental confusion is real and physiologically based.

Your current high level of anxiety likely makes this symptoms more apparent since you are constantly noticing these symptoms, even when they are minor. In the past, we would just 'shake off' these momentary feelings and they would go away. Now, they last longer and get our attention causing anxiety to increase.

I take a pragmatic approach. I notice the symptom. I can usually pinpoint the movement that caused it. I chalk it up to that movement and try to ignore it and go on. I can't change the past (the sudden movement) so I try not to worry or focus on it.

For a boxer, this issue takes on a whole different meaning. I'll leave that one alone.

Thanks for the useful tip mark. I agree with you that its more of the anxiety than the actual issue. Are these regular car bumps of concern ? They are almost inevitable and we cant hold back on our lives because of this stupid problem. I am not talking about those big jolts at high speeds just those small to moderate bumps here and there.

I got into my new car today and went for a small 10 minute drive out of excitement to check it out. When I returned, I felt some pain around my forehead which gradually increased to become moderate headache, which is a new symptom to me after 6 months. It so ****ing messed up I just dont feel like myself at all. Perhaps I need to wait for a couple of months and maybe I will improve more.