Hi everyone,

As some of you know, I've posted a little while ago that my PCS symptoms returning lately. For those of you who haven't read my posts, here's a quick recap:

- first concussion boxing 1.5 years ago. Second minor concussion playing hockey about 9 months after the first.
- have stopped boxing, hockey, all contact sports etc, and have been healing well, but have been dealing with nagging neck issues. Stiffness, cracking, HORRIBLE tension-like headaches when I overdo it at the gym and my neck gets bad.
- stopped all overhead exercises, seemed to help my neck
- recently (12 weeks ago) started running outside again. Symptoms of dizziness, malaise, and muscle weakness have progressively gotten worse since then. The weakness feeling, accompanied by a low level anxiety feeling is the absolute worse thing. Nobody could diagnose me. My doctor told me it was a "mono-like virus". CT, MRI, blood tests were all normal.

I was pretty much at the end of my rope. I would get better, then I would have days where I couldn't walk up the stairs. It was not a feeling I had experienced with my previous concussions. Those were more headaches, dizziness, fatigue. I could deal with that. This feeling was different. I never felt tired, but I was unable to do anything when it got back. I was EXTREMELY irritable. My wife was having a really hard time dealing with it.

I found a concussion/sports rehab clinic in my area last week and thought I would give it a try. So I went to the clinic and told the therapist (who was also the owner) my whole history. Right away he pulls out a book and shows me exactly whats wrong. Apparently with concussions, especially ones where you get hit on the side of the head (like the punch I took) and your head snaps to the side, the C1 vertebrae twists and gets stuck. There are 2 capillaries that run alongside the C1 that feed the brain with blood. These become tightened and bloodflow is restricted. Because my neck was never treated initially, I've never really been able to recover from my initial concussion. Which is why the second one happened so easily and why running has set off my symptoms again. He showed me my neck mobility to one side, which was fine, and then the other side my neck wouldnt move at all how it should have. We then corrected the turned vertebrae by holding my head at a certain angle and using my eye muscles (they control the small muscles attached to the C1 vertebrae....unbelievable) and my neck was immediately better. I felt REALLY woozy after, like I was drunk. He said its because the blood is flowing into the brain properly and my brain isnt used to it. It needs to learn how to regulate it. A few weeks ago, I actually went for a massage. The massage therapist focused on my neck the whole time. Afterwards, I could barely walk. I felt like I was HAMMERED. Apparently she had loosened things up in my neck and got the blood flowing properly as the athletic therapist did.

I was pretty much giggling during the appointment because I was so relieved someone was finally able to tell me what was wrong and how to fix it. I am slowly feeling better day by day, and he said I will recover completely eventually, as long as I ease back into exercise very slowly. Unbelievable. Apparently this guy sits on the Canadian national board for mild traumatic brain injury, and works with hockey canada a lot about concussions.

I just wanted to share my story with everyone and I sincerely hope this helps some of you with neck issues to understand what may be the problem. If anyone is in the Toronto area and would like to go to this clinic please let me know and I will provide details.

I am going back tomorrow for a follow up assessment. Will let everyone know if anything comes out of it.

Take care,

Bas