Concussion symptoms coming back strong..trying to backtrack why?
 

So I got hit by a trunk of a SUV when getting something out of a car in January. This was my 5th or so concussion because I played football and rugby in High School (I'm 18, just finished my first year of college). It's been a horrible, HORRIBLE journey since then. I basically can hardly function. However, I was slowly starting to get better to a small degree as of lately. I was able to remember things and go on my computer and function. I still however wasn't able to really do anything physical because I have extreme vertigo/dizziness. My mental fog was still very much there, but it was getting better. And the past couple days, I've been getting MUCH MUCH worse. I feel like I have a straight fresh concussion again. My only guess on how it could have happened was from driving over potholes or maybe jumping. My neck is in a huge amount of pain through out the day and I can just tell something is wrong with it because I need to crack it all the time and the cracks have as of lately became very painful. It's as if my head is very heavy. I feel slow, and grumpy, and not able to do anything. But as of the past couple days I'm back to feeling like a scrambled egg of a brain. Forgetting things, not being able to comprehend simple sentences, extreme dizziness since before. It's alot to handle. Is there any reason for this setback? It literally feels like I got a totally new concussion on top of this pre-existing horrible PCS I deal with. I'm back to feeling like I'm seeing my neurologist next week and plan on getting a neck and brain MRI to see if that can be the cause, however this is honestly nuts. I went from being an energetic teen last year (even with 4 concussions that I healed fine from within a month each time), to now not being able to really do anything. This set back is nuts.

A neck MRI will not likely show anything unless you have a more serious injury. The radiologists just do not look for the subtle issues common to concussions. But, you should stop cracking your neck, especially if they are painful. You could be doing harm. It can also cause inflammation that can make your symptoms worse. You should get a professional assessment of your neck. An upper cervical chiro can often help. They do very specialized X-Rays. Some Physical Therapists are good too. Avoid any aggressive therapy.

You should also get a post concussion vestibular assessment by a vestibular specialist, not a generic PT .

Read the Vitamins sticky (first post at the bottom) for the recipe to make some crushable ice packs and ice your neck as often as possible. 15 minutes on, 30 minutes off, repeat.

Sleep in a straight head and neck posture. If you have a recliner, it can be a good place to sleep with good posture because you cannot roll over and toss and turn.

Avoid potholes and jumping until your neck is healed.