Nphillips

Wow! Thank you so much for answering my questions. I’ve been in the dark so long so it’s so nice to hear from a professional. Would facet pain cause me to lose circulation to my head when I fall asleep with my head turned to one side? This is something that happens to me if I turn onto my stomach while sleeping. This is the biggest concern for me. No circulation to the brain means I am at risk for potential brain damage, does it not? When I straighten my neck in the morning after sleeping with my neck turned, it feels the same as when you fall asleep with your wrist bent, and when you straighten it all the blood rushes to the starved hand. I feel like this, only instead of blood rushing to my hand, it rushes to my head and is followed by a horrendous, day-long headache. If you still think it is facet damage, is there a way of mitigating my risk of brain damage while sleeping? Perhaps I should sleep with a collar on? Should I continue with chiropractic adjustments in my condition?

Thanks, Pbean.
How very true on second opions. I saw my doctor once in June, and he simply told me to come back if problems persist in a month’s time. Then he repeatedly took one month holidays (1 month off, 1 month back and fully booked because of his absence, then repeat to holidays again). I finally have an appointment with him on the 23rd and will be insistent on a specialist referral. Right now I have three chiropractors (they work together and have all treated me) and my doctor’s opinion, as well as my doctor’s fill-in guy, all who agreed with diagnosis of concussion and whiplash. However, I think what you are suggesting is to get one or two opinions of people who specialize in this sort of injury, which I definitely agree with, and that I haven’t done yet. The Atlantoaxial instability is something I am convinced I have, only because it’s the first time I have read about a type of injury/condition where I have every single symptom. What I need is a specialist or a few specialists to decide whether or not this is true, and if I do, then where to go from there. I knew in my gut that I should have had a more thorough examination. I only had x-rays done on my back (because shortly after the accident, one of my vertebrae was extremely tender to touch). I wish I had X-rays of my neck as well, because I think there has been some structural damage to it that should have been caught. I have been getting regular adjustments at the chiropractor, and perhaps I shouldn’t be manipulating that area of my neck. What if they accidentally did permanent damage?
The other thing with injuries like this is everyone thinks you’re sort of being a cry baby about the pain, or that your pain has became psychosomatic (all in your head) after a certain amount of time has passed. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I am sick of being sent home and being told “come back if it’s still there in a month, and make sure you take of yourself”. I only ever feel like a burden to my doctor, and I even think my chiropractor is getting a little sick of me. I sense she thinks that because on the odd day I forget my supplements or forget my eye exercises and stretches that that is the reason I am not well yet. I doubt missing few days here and there of exercises and supplements can have that affect on me. Treatments lately have been zero help to me, and I think I have done some damage that needs treating that isn’t being addressed yet.
And Pbean, I am sorry to hear about your surgery mishap. That is terrible and extremely unethical of that doctor to have done that to you. He clearly wasn’t 100% sure what he was doing and should have done you the courtesy of getting another opinion himself or having you get one. Having an extremely invasive, likely high-risk surgery on your spine only to find out it didn’t help and wasn’t even needed is a terrible realization. I would be furious to have been treated that way. I am sorry for your lost years of pain too. I hope you are moving on from it, and that you are feeling better. I appreciate your sharing. It’s nice to not feel alone. Onward and upward.