Duncan, I would NOT let a chiro touch me until I had exhausted all other options. DO see a specialist as has been suggested. I wish you well.

Hi, you should definitely have your spine xrayed. I am in my 7th year of pcs and have had a continual battle with getting "good" help and information.

I have only recently had my xrays taken by a chiropractor and she also looked at my MRI.( she is a relation who sepcialises in cranial massage for new born babies). AND guess what!! The MRI shows that in the past I would probably have had broken bones around my sinus as one of the passages is so crooked and narrow and there is a piece of bone showing that she told me has broken off either my first or second vertebra.

It sounds weird but I felt like cheering as finally some evidence of a severe knock - all the time that I have been told by the insurer's specialists that my concussions were only minor and that the effects are more than you would expect for such minor bangs to the head. They didn't accept my QEEG report. So finally I could see something physical - immense relief.

So Duncan, trust your instincts, there are not that many specialists/doctors etc that actually know a lot about concussion. If you don't agree with anything you are told keep going until your find somebody that you can trust.

In the meantime avoid being over tired and learn to pace yourself - in my 7 years of this pcs, tiredness is the cause of most of the symptons. It is hard to accept that less effort is better and to not think that you are being lazy.

In the initial time after my accident - and yes concussion is cumulative - I am a walking example of this - I pushed myself and kept tyrying to work full time etc and it was the worse thing that I could have done. The A&E that I went to actually accused me of being a fraud when I kept going back saying that I felt really terrible and still had headaches - it was a nightmare. A neuro/psychologist eventually said I had pcs and that was over 3 months later.

Lynlee

well well, i finally made the doctor (reluctantly) refer me to a neurologist.. i was at the hospital yesterday with a broken finger (it never ends!) and tried to get them to x-ray my neck at the same time but no luck. why are people so reluctant to help? its like pulling teeth to get even the most basic treatment!! anyway the doc finally gave in, probably to shut me up as much as anything else. hopefully the neurologist will take the neck thing seriously and i can see if there is anything wrong or not..
anyway, thanks everyone who's given me advice and whatnot, it really makes a difference.

Oweee!!! How did you break your finger???

well, i was riding my bike again. probably not a great idea i know but i thought it might make me feel better, and it did. until i broke my finger. haha.

You're sounding quite upbeat and happy in your posts which suggests that you are quickly mending as PCS almost always makes you low and anxious. I did the same as you, came off the back of my BMX and wacked my head on the floor. I was confused and disorientated for about 20 minutes after and I don't remember much of it then I started to develop PCS a few days later. Again the docs told me I was fine as I checked out fine in their scans and neurological assesments but even now 7 months on I'm basically a different guy to who I was before my accident. I had the gushing sound in one ear (which I still get when tired), was sensitive to light and sound and suffered severe deperonalisation, derealisation, depression and anxiety. It was hell. Fortunately you seem to be ok but yes, get your neck checked out as I've heard lots of stories of people who think they have PCS when actually their neck is just out of line. All the best.

yeah you're right i have been feeling a bit more cheery of late, although i seem to have bad mood swings which i never used to, its just that i dont really feel like posting when im feeling low.. i think it may well be to do with my neck actually, because when i turn my head the rushing in my ears increases as well as the visual disturbances. Im wondering also, just how much of all this is psychological. I mean i know there are physical symptoms, but for me anyway i dont notice much anymore when im in social situations or if im busy with something. I suppose thats because im getting better but even in the beginning i found that a positive outlook made a massive difference to how i felt.... makes me wonder if anyone actually gets better or if we just adjust? anyway, i hope you feel better too. Just out of interest are you still riding?