[mrniceguy]

Hello,

This is my first post. I'm 26 and been dealing with PCS for several years now, and have had a head sensitivity issue with bumps (speed bumps in the car, etc.) or shaking of the head. I'll have issues for anywhere between a couple days to a couple weeks.

Over the last 4 or 5 years, my conditions hasn't changed much for the good or bad. My main concussion doctor recently referred me to a doctor/chiropractor in order to "rewire my nervous system". My concern is that one of the techniques involve moving the head. He says to stare at a dot on the wall in front of me and nod my head 10 times in a row, then shake my head side to side 10 times in a tow, then nod again 10 times, all the while keeping my eyes fixated on the dot. He says to go slowly at first, as I can't tolerate these quick movements well. He says that we will gradually increase the speed of these movements to eventually be able to run, etc. To be honest, this seems unrealistic. In my experience, my head has been able to tolerate more movement when I avoid bumps/shakes and has gotten worse after bumps/shakes. Has anyone with head sensitivity gone through anything like this?

FWIW, other techniques so far have been:
-having me stare at something i hold infront of my face while he spins me around twice slowly in a chair
-listening to white noise to calm a certain part of my brain
-mild electric impulses on my tongue to stimulate a certain part of the brain

My gut tells me to NOT do the head shaking exercise, except that I know that I have a propensity to worry/have anxiety. Also, I'm not sure about how much of an effect this has on my overall symptoms.

Thanks for the help!

[JBuckl]

Welcome!

It sounds like you're going to a chiropractic neurologist (or functional neurologist). I saw one too and also have the sensitivity to bumps, shaking of the head, etc. Unfortunately, it didn't help me much. Some see results, others don't with CN's.

I tried the quick head turns, and after a certain one, I immediately felt like I had another concussion. I know I didn't, but it felt like it for a week or so. I say trust your gut and don't do the quick head turns. Doing them slowly is fine for me. I've found similar results as you. The less quick head turns, bumps in the road, etc., the more I can tolerate. I've had periods where I can even run.

This brain sensitivity I've found does not work with desensitization techniques. I wish it did, but the fact is that it doesn't. With time, it does get better, as long as you don't overdo it with the car rides, bumps, head turns, etc.

Anxiety makes it worse, so it's best that you can get that under control. Some people will say that it's simply anxiety that causes the symptoms. I strongly disagree. The brain being sensitive to movements is the main problem. That's where the anxiety comes from (for most people) Anxiety is a secondary problem, BUT the anxiety can cause more symptoms than the brain being sensitive to the movements.

Let us know if there is anything else that we can help you with!

[Mark in Idaho]

mrniceguy,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. I agree with JBuckl for the most part. What was not mentioned is speed bumps can exacerbate a whiplash condition in the upper neck. That can be different than the other head movement issue.

The head movement exercises the CN suggests are more of a vestibular rehab, reconditioning treatment. This sounds like your head sensitivity may be misdiagnosed as vestibular. But, it is one of the many symptoms of PCS that need to be considered. Have you had a full vestibular assessment ?

Do you have a sense of dizziness after head movements or speed bumps ? Or, some other symptoms ?

The anxiety issue is worth addressing. What may be a minor short term symptom can be magnified to a much more intense and longer lasting symptom due to anxiety. What are you doing to address your anxiety issues ?

[mrniceguy]

Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

mrniceguy,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. I agree with JBuckl for the most part. What was not mentioned is speed bumps can exacerbate a whiplash condition in the upper neck. That can be different than the other head movement issue.

The head movement exercises the CN suggests are more of a vestibular rehab, reconditioning treatment. This sounds like your head sensitivity may be misdiagnosed as vestibular. But, it is one of the many symptoms of PCS that need to be considered. Have you had a full vestibular assessment ?

Do you have a sense of dizziness after head movements or speed bumps ? Or, some other symptoms ?

The anxiety issue is worth addressing. What may be a minor short term symptom can be magnified to a much more intense and longer lasting symptom due to anxiety. What are you doing to address your anxiety issues ?

Thanks for the replies guys.

I have not had a full vestibular assessment so maybe that's something I should look into. After head movements what I get is a spaced out feeling and feeling slower, feeling tired, and generally just not feeling good. Dizziness isn't really a part of that.

So far my anxiety treatment involves bouncing thoughts/worries off my girlfriend every so often so she can tell me when she thinks I'm being irrational. That's about it. I was on paxil years ago but that didn't help at all and made me feel worse cognitively.

[Mark in Idaho]

When you say you have symptoms from shaking your head, what kind of head shaking do you mean ? A simple yes or no or a more sustained shaking like driving down a rough road ? Do you get any other symptoms from this like a metallic or other strange taste or a immediate struggle to focus ?

Head movements can cause true physiological symptoms, anxiety based symptoms or a combination of the two. The brain can create a memory of the real concussion symptoms and replay those symptoms with the slightest trigger. A whiplash aggravation would likely cause longer lasting symptoms.

It is worthwhile to try to understand the difference.

btw, a trick for speed bumps is to lean forward in the car so your shoulder are hunched forward. This prevents the jarring from the back of the seat and allows your upper back to bend and absorb more of the impact. I had a sever sensitivity to speed bumps early on. It took me years to strengthen/stabilize my neck to reduce this problem.

[todayistomorrow]

Your dr. Sounds liIke chiropractic neurology which is what they do at the brain carrick center and it is a complete scam. I did those eye exercises as well as zapping the tongue and other parts of my head. It made me feel horrible and it took a couple weeks to go back to feeling my "normal".

i know it sucks because you can't trust any Dr. And each one thinks they have the fix but please listen to your gut and run from this dr.

[NeverGiveUp4MySon]

My son had similar symptoms and gaze stabilization exercises were critical in his recovery. No way could he have handled shaking his head back and forth at the beginning! Sounds like you are going too fast. Start by sitting in a chair and have someone turn your head for you to take your neck out of the equation. Have them turn your head left to right, left to right while you stare at an object. That's it. Twice to start. Do that a couple of times a day until you can do it yourself. Then you have to do the same for up and down. You have to build it up slowly. It sounds crazy, but I swear it works!

[NeverGiveUp4MySon]

Don't let them do any spinning in the chair exercises yet--way too soon!