PCS issues, please help
 

About 14 months ago I had a concussion while playing soccer. 2 weeks later I felt 100% and returned to play. A month after that, I went tubing and water skiing on my lake. I can't recall any specific fall I had that was bad while doing these activities, but I assume that I probably did hit my head on the water a couple times. A few days after I went tubing and water skiing, a number of symptoms started to appear. My main symptom is pixelated vision. I'm still seeing 20/20, it's just everything I see, 24/7, is pixelated. My other symptoms are pulsating all over my head, which is just like feeling my heartbeat all over my head, which also occurs 24/7. The pulsating is more noticeable when I'm laying down in a quiet room, but it doesn't cause my any problems with sleeping. Finally, I get this strange numbness in between my eyes and in the center of my forehead any time I move my eyes or my head around. None of my symptoms are painful, they are just discomforting and I can never seem to get any of them to go away, not even for a minute. The symptoms all seem to get worse with physical activity. I've had an MRI which came back normal, I've had my eyes checked and they are perfectly healthy, I've also had my heart checked and it came back completely normal. It's been exactly one year that this has been going on and it has kept me out of soccer. I am starting my college soccer career soon and I am already looking at sitting out my entire freshman year due to these symptoms. I haven't really been able to find anything that makes these symptoms even a little bit better. If anyone has any advice or has had any similar symptoms please let me know.

soccerjunkie,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

Did your school have a concussion program for you to participate in ?

Have you been seen by a neuro ophthalmologist or behavioral optometrist. Something is definitely not fine. Your vision may be 20/20 but it is not something you should be delaying seeking further care.

Bouncing on a ski tube can be problematic. It can be rough on your neck and brain

Feeling your heartbeat should not be a concern. The concussed brain often gets so it can detect fine senses. It is not that if feels them better but more that it does not ignore those sensations as well as it used to.

What kind of physical activity are you involved in ?

With the prolonged struggles you are experiencing, I concerned that you are taking a big risk returning to play soccer. I bet this was not your first concussion from soccer plus you have suffered many sub-concussive impacts from heading the ball. Your brain has already be subjected to quite a bit of trauma.

So, please think hard about your future. I suffered serious academic struggles from head trauma just from heading the ball. Your college career is far more important.

Possibly expert upper cervical adjustments might help.
http://www.nucca.com/
http://www.upcspine.com/self.htm