Mark In Idaho,

As always, thank you so much for your considerate and thoughtful responses. It is greatly appreciated.

I will try to dial it back on the research. Ever since starting to learn about the sciences behind brain injuries and how they are impacted by a concussion, I have felt a return of some happiness. I have a deep love for sciences, and I think that I was finding some purpose in studying what I can about this new, interesting topic. But, I also completely agree that the research can be an example of anxiety/OCD, especially with how addictive it has become. There is so much to learn, perhaps too much, that I am forgetting about other activities that I could be enjoying!

I understand what you are saying about bumps and jolts. It is interesting how our perception of these things change after such an injury. When I become frightened after stepping off a stair too hard, I have found some benefit in trying to alter my thinking from “was that a concussion?” to “wow, that was a rough step!” and moving on. This must be what Bud has done, too.

As for the second question - I see. So, regardless of how many concussions one has, the brain becomes no more vulnerable to injury at lower forces? I wonder where the idea came from that it becomes extremely sensitive. So many people must be misinformed about that, seeing as it is such a prevailing theory.

I previously tried to find some more information online about Concussion Anxiety Syndrome. I wanted to send it to someone who was interested in understanding what is happening with me. Other than the work of Dr. Cameron Marshall, it seems that there is essentially no research done on the topic, at least that is easy to find. It is a shame that the knowledge we have on concussions is so limited, and there is so little information out there that could help better inform us.

powerblackwolf,

I actually coined the term Concussion Anxiety Syndrome many years ago as I tried to help people on this forum. I have promoted the term to experts in hopes somebody would do some study. Others have slowly started to consider CAS as an issue, whether they use the term or not.

One study does show that 80% of people who experience prolonged struggles have a pre-existing history of anxiety and/or depression.


The idea that concussions combine to become easier to sustain was likely a result of the many people who develop symptoms from lesser bumps, whether those bumps are whiplash, anxiety triggers, or startles/annoyances. All of these non-concussions can cause similar symptoms

Ah, it all makes sense now.

As I have began to incorporate anxiety into the way that I perceive concussions, it has started to make more sense to me. Part of the reason is because I do not see why anxiety and prolonged stress would not affect the brain in such a way that it wouldn’t cause a PTSD response. Other than the simple fact that the brain has spent thousands of years evolving and refining the ability to recognize threats, whether these are old or new, there are many people such as myself who can connect these instances with past experiences.

I recognize it primarily in the way I interact with parents. When parents scream at their kids, there are many times where I am unable to fight the urge to physically hide. The depersonalization and derealization that I have in these circumstances are undeniable. To me, Concussion Anxiety Syndrome makes complete sense.

I have heard many times that people who suffer from anxiety/depression also have low-grade inflammation, regardless, and how cortisol levels rise when the ANS is no longer as capable of regulating stress. It is interesting how the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system become unbalanced. I have wondered if anxiety sufferers have a somewhat dysfunctional autonomic nervous system anyway, as I have always felt locked into this state of “fight/flight.” It makes CAS truly harder to overcome.

This is an interesting article that I have read. You may have seen it already, but I thought it was very informative.

Neuroinflammation-Associated Alterations of the Brain as Potential Neural Biomarkers in Anxiety Disorders - PMC

I hope at some point, more research can be done for CAS. It is a shame that only Dr. Cameron Marshall seems to be presenting this information to his audience. It is truly an interesting theory, and many of the people I have talked to about it feel the same.

Just as some people are quick to raise their anxiety level, some suggest that some people have a sensitive inflammatory response.

One part of the fight or flight response is turning off the sensory filters that usually reduce stimulation that makes it to the cognitive and executive parts of the brain. Many TBI sufferers have suffered damage to this sensory filtering gate. We live our lives in an over-stimulated state until we learn new ways to reduce over-stimulation. I struggle to drive because my brain is constantly trying to resolve all of the fast moving objects.

We can reduce anxiety by reducing stimulation in our environment. No caffeine. Reduced auditory stimulation. Some even need reduced visual stimulation, such as less visual stimulation on the walls.

As we experience over-stimulation, toxic waste can build up in our brain tissue. If we do not get quality, restorative sleep, those toxins never get flushed or drained out. Proper quality sleep is the most important need we have.

I never get in bed and try to fall asleep. I wait in a quiet state with low stress visual and auditory stimulation until I'm starting to fall asleep and quietly get in bed. I usually fall asleep in just a few minutes. I had to learn this skill. It took me 2 years to figure this out.

Yes - I have read briefly some of the information about hypersensitivity in the immune system. The articles/podcasts said some do the same things you just did, about how it can be beneficial to remove “unnecessary stimuli” to lower stress and anxiety effects. It did not mention how that can impact sleep or how sleep removes toxic waste, however. That information is incredibly good to know.

One thing I wanted to ask is what other things have you done (other than sleep posture and icing) that helped to improve your neck?

This response took a while because I realized that I need to get more “neck-conscious,” as I have been calling it. I have a tendency to whip, jerk, shake, etc. my head during conversations or moments of excitement. After a flare-up of even worse symptoms a few days ago from shaking my neck/twisting it during a conversation, it revealed to me two things. Yes, my symptoms are mainly stemming from my neck. I also need to learn to be aware of how I am moving my neck during this recovery period. With how sensitive this part of the body becomes during concussion/whiplash, it is a great surprise to me that there is less information on this, too.

I should be seeing my neurologist/PCP in a week or two. That is when I will try to get to that PT you recommended, or spinal/chiro doctor for GERD.

Along with icing and improving resting posture, I’ve taken to cold baths to reduce inflammation. I allow myself to float at times, similar to how we treat joint pain in arthritis. It helps.

Thank you.

To start, my PT did gentle traction with manual mobilization. I struggled to find a good upper neck chiro. The NUCCA chiro was a crook. There were no good Activator chiropractors here.

My PT also did myofacial release, trigger point, and some other hands on treatments.

Thank you! I’m writing those down. I’ll look for those, thank you so much for your kindness and patience with me/my questions.