Hello everyone, this is my first time posting on this forum and I would like to talk about my experience so far with my pcs and my recovery.

I play hockey as a goalie and I got bulldozed over in one of my games. I blinked my eyes a few times and just played the rest of the game. I thought I was fine but that next week I was feeling the symptoms were my head felt really foggy and my neck/shoulders were so sore.

I took it easy for a few days but I still went to work but my symptoms were still bothering me. I did physical therapy for only 5 sessions and they gave me some neck excerises to do. I also started getting panic attacks and parts of my body would get numb or tingly. I had to go to Hong Kong for vacation which sucked but I was able to see a alternative doctor who helped me with my sore shoulders and neck for the whole trip. When I got back I had two weeks of brain fog but my shoulders and neck sores eventually came back. My symptoms were still bothering me for about 2-3 months on and off.

I started seeing a chiropractor in November that specializes in sports injuries. He defintely help me with my symptoms for the past two months. He does a little more than traditional chiropractors where he focused on my legs, chest, arms, and skull because they were weak and jammed. He gave me some nutrition advice to pretty much eat healthier and stop eating junk. He also gave me supplements to take as well. I also did about 12 sessions of the Hyperbaric Chamber where I felt helped with the fogginess.

I'm back at work and I may get a stiff in the neck or shoulders if I sit for long periods of time but eventually goes away. I don't get panic attacks anymore but may have tiny bit of tinglyness in my left hand. I've been doing light cardio but no resistance training yet. I plan on taking a few months off from hockey to focus on getting better.

Thanks for listening everyone and sorry if I was rambling on.. Any other tips to help with recovery process will be much appreciated.

Thanks,

m00sekat33r

Moose,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. You don't say what you current symptoms are besides stiffness. It will help if you introduce yourself and tell us more about your symptoms. How long have you played hockey? How many previous concussions? How many 'puck to the face mask' dingers ? How old? Male? Canada or US? Do you drink? How much, how often? What kind of work do you do?

What supplements have you been taking?

Hyperbaric (HBOT) usually takes 60 to 80 treatments to see a difference, if there are any positive results.

Has your chiro told you to ice from your upper neck to your upper shoulders? He is missing it if he didn't.

I have a thread with my suggested regimen of vitamins, supplements, and other recovery protocols. Look for it titled "Vitamins."

There are lots of good people here. Feel free to unload.

My best to you.

Hey Mark,

My current symptoms are:
1. Slight foggyness it goes on and off during the day, getting better. It doesn't really bother me anymore I can typically go through a day with it. If I don't eat a meal in time I may get foggy but after I eat I'm fine.
2. I get stiffness in the neck or shoulders if I sit in front of a computer for long periods of time or have bad posture in a chair.
3. Usually being in a large crowds or loud music irritates me and I feel like I'm spacing out hearing all these sounds. I have to be in a quite place for a few minutes. Then I can go back to the crowd but I usually stay away from these situations.

I have been playing hockey since I was 11 or 12 playing roller so not much contact... I skated out for more most of my years. It was 5 or 6 years ago when I started seriously playing goalie. This was my first bad concussion so far. I did get hit in the head accidentally with a puck while I was changing out of my gear. I went to the doctor and after a week I was fine. As far as pucks to the face during the games while playing goalie, I'm not sure. I remember getting hit in the face/cage a few times with the puck and then all of a sudden I would get a ringing in the ear for a few seconds and then it go away. I was fine afterwards and I wouldn't get any problems after those times I would get hit in the cage with a puck.

I'm Male, 26 years old, U.S.A. I haven't drank really in 6 or 7 months. I remember I drank a beer in Hong Kong when I was on vacation and I felt terrible. I didn't know if I was buzzed or super foggy... I stopped drinking all together. As far as work I just sit in front of computer screen all day so I take a few breaks to stretch out my neck.

For Supplements he gave me:
Calcium lactate 3 times a day
Fish oil I think they're called Optimal EFA's Caps 3 times a day
Thymex (this was in the beginning) 3 times a day. He gave me a new one B12 trace minerals 3 times a day
Catylan 3 times a day

For Hyperbaric chamber I was kinda skeptical about it.... but he gave me a good deal for each session so I said why not. I've only done about 12 sessions so far for 35-40 minutes at 1000 levels. They did go higher one time but I felt pretty foggy after that so they dropped back to 1000. It is pretty expensive, I remember skipping one week and I felt really foggy that whole week because of lack of sleep, stress, eating bad... etc. So I guess it's been helping me so far? It's hard to say.

Well, for the icing the neck and shoulders he didn't really tell me to do that. When I went to the ER they said warm pack was better? I was using a thermipaq whenever my i would get sore in the neck or shoulders and that would help. (Also, when I went to the nuerologist I got an mri on my cervical spine and brain and they said my brain was fine but I had arthritis in my neck?) I felt like I had arthritis in my neck and they said I was going to be fine and have a great weekend?!) I was like well okay? Am I going to be fine? This was back in August... I started seeing my Chiro end of October. He's definitely helped me a lot. The first day I saw my Chiro I couldn't turn my neck to the right and I was pretty sore on my right side of my neck. He got my legs, arms, chest a lot stronger.

Thanks,
m00sekat33r

moose,

Your symptoms sound quite normal for someone your age. The other concussions and other dings where you would not have any lasting symptoms were concussions. They all add up to your current condition.

You should be icing your neck. Ice for inflammation. When your neck is stiff, it is inflammation causing the stiffness. 15 on. 39 minutes off. A zip lock baggy with 1 part rubbing alcohol and 3 parts water will freeze to a crushable ice. Make a couple ice packs and ice any time you are stiff.

Is your chiro doing the twist the head and pop the neck kind of adjustment? They can be too aggressive for some upper neck injuries.

The audio over-stimulation is a common PCS symptoms. Foam ear plugs help for the noisy environments.

Your supplements are very low dose. I suggest you read my vitamins thread. You need a lot more B-12, D3 and the rest.

More later. I need to take a nap.

Yea my chiro would twist my neck if I was really sore or tight in the neck and shoulders. Then I hear alittle pop or click. He also tested my leg strength and arm strength alot. I would also get these weird pressures on the side of head as well. He would also massage my head and I would breath in and out for 10 seconds. My chest was very weak too, he would percuss/massage my chest area and eventually the cracking in my chest went away.

I had no idea those times where I get hit in the cage with a puck that they were little concussions... If I ever play again I don't know what position I would play? Or just take a few years off because I would like to go back to school this coming fall.

Thanks,
m00sekat33r