Concussion from car journey
 

Hi there, i have been looking at this site for a while but only now felt the need to create an account.

A bit about myself: i have been suffering from PCS since last feburary after a skiing accident. I have had various symptoms (feeling off balance,nausea,fatigue,brain fog ect.) but most have seemed to have lessened in frequency. I also have much anxiety (which i did not have before the accident) which mostly centers around getting another concussion.

My question is yesterday i was being driven home and the car went over some bumps in which i could 'feel' the impact in my brain. I'm wondering if these bumps could be concussive or cause further damage to my brain.

Today i have had various symptoms i have not had to this extent for a while such as pain in specific spots on my head, feeling 'out of it', as well as feeling more anxious.

Thanks in advance,

Teo

Teo,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

Your experience is common. The car bumps were not concussive and did not cause damage. They may have aggravated a neck injury. Your anxiety response is sort of like PTSD. It can help if you roll your shoulders, head and neck forward when you know the road is getting bumpy. This will allow better absorption of the bumps.

If the 'pain in specific spots on your head' means headaches, try some ibuprofen or such. If they are at the bony spot behind your ears, they suggest neck muscle spasms. Try icing the back of your neck and head.

Your admission that you feel more anxious suggests these can also be remembered symptoms from last spring. Your mind can replay symptoms as part of increased anxiety.

Getting over this anxiousness about another concussion can be a challenge. It can help to think, "Would I have been concerned about this xyz bump prior to my concussion last February?" The answer is usually NO.

Thanks Mark, you're right i realize now it was probably just anxiety but thank you for your quick response. It seems that my anxiety has skyrocketed the past few week and am going to see a psychologist to help deal with this.

Teo

Yeah
 

Hey Teo and Mark,

I have had almost the exact same problems as you Teo. I got a concussion last March from playing football. Recovery has been rough. My main symptoms are the chronic headaches I have almost every day. Some days it's better and some days it's worse.

I've seen gradual recovery, but ever since I got the concussion last year I've been very anxious about movements. It feels that for some sudden movements I am fine, but some others I can "feel" my brain moving inside my skull and it brings me bad headaches. The headaches are usually the worst the day after the movement. And these aren't large movements either, they're normal things like car rides, train rides, accidentally falling on the bed too hard, catching myself before I fall, etc. Things that wouldn't have scared me at all before but scare me greatly now.

I visited this site today because in a fit of temper I made a really sudden jerky movement in my chair leaning forward. I became really anxious and felt like I would feel the effects of this tomorrow and so came on this site. I saw your posts and mark's replies and I was calmed down quite a bit.

I actually got a neuropsych test and the doctors said that they weren't sure I had PCS anymore. They more so believe that I had some migraines that were triggered by my concussion last year.

Idk its just been weird for me.

Question for Mark: What do you believe would be the kind of movements that could actually physically make a concussed person's concussion worse? I've read that people with concussions are more effected by second impacts, and so I'm curious as to what your opinion is on what movements can be physically harmful.

I figured I had an anxiety problem when I watched a moving van hit a speed bump in a parking lot, not fast but like he didn't notice it and had to deal with pcs like symptoms for a couple of days from something that didn't even happen to me.

I did have a great deal of problems from bumpy roads for over 2 years after my accident, relaxing and flowing with the bumps is a big help.

John,

I have fallen head first skiing twice (with a helmet) and various other normal life things since my accident 3.5 yrs ago with no actual problems, I do still struggle some with anxious thoughts over bumps for awhile but can get it under control.

A couple of weeks ago at work an employee closed a small but somewhat heavy plane door on my head not noticing I was in the way still. I was leaned over looking into a compartment and he let the door down onto my head. I was fine but you talk about anger!!, fortunately I was able to control it.
It left a sore spot but nothing worse.

I try to find a balance between being foolish and letting a past concussion dictate my life. Learn to listen to that little voice, it can tell you both, to stop or proceed with an activity.

Bud

JohnZ,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

There are two issues related to second impacts. The one that scares people is called Second Impact Syndrome. This is when a person suffers a severe concussion and before that concussion heals and the brain restores its ability to control blood and fluid pressure, a second serious concussion is suffered. This can cause a run away problem with blood and fluid pressure in the brain that can be dangerous. This is very rarely a risk after a garden variety concussion.

The more common issue is increased sensitivity or increased symptoms from a concussion. A second concussion of the same impact intensity could result in more severe symptoms or a less severe concussion will cause the same intensity as the first.

People tend to get caught up in anxiety about any head impact or quick movement and think it is a concussion when the bump is often not even enough to be considered a sub-concussive impact. The movie Concussion from a few years ago has caused a lot of anxiety since it addresses sub-concussive impacts.

The problem with this anxiety is it is not based in reality. Even sub-concussive impacts are not a risk individually. It takes many over a short period to be a risk.

What is more common is upper neck injuries and vestibular injuries (some call them vestibular concussions) that can cause symptoms such as head aches and dizziness. These symptoms can trigger anxiety that can cause one to obsess that they are fully concussed and the mind is triggered into a flash back of symptoms from the prior serious concussion.

The neck may be traumatized and need some care. In many, the subtle neck injury from a concussion takes much longer to heal than the actual concussion so it is easily triggered into a relapse of symptoms.