What does craniocervical instability feel like?
Symptoms[edit | edit source] Symptoms of craniocervical instability include occipital headache, neck pain and neurological abnormalities such as numbness, motor weakness, dizziness, and gait instability. Patients sometimes describe the feeling that their head is too heavy for their neck to support (“bobble-head”).
Is craniocervical instability serious?
The impact of craniocervical instability can range from minor symptoms to severe disability, with some patients being bed-bound. The constellation of symptoms caused by craniocervical instability has been labelled the cervico-medullary syndrome.
Where is the craniocervical junction?
The craniocervical junction consists of the bone that forms the base of the skull (occipital bone) and the first two bones in the spine (which are in the neck): the atlas and axis.
What is CCI illness?
Craniocervical instability (CCI) is a type of loose ligament condition in EDS that results in injury to the nervous system. CCI occurs when ligaments from the skull to the spine don’t restrict unsafe movement.
Can Craniocervical instability be cured?
Cervical instability is a medical condition in which loose ligaments in your upper cervical spine may lead to neuronal damage and a large list of adverse symptoms. If you have cervical instability, you may be experiencing migraines, vertigo, or nausea. Fortunately, this condition is treatable, though not curable.
How do I know if I have cervical instability?
Tightness or stiffness in neck muscles. Tenderness. Headaches. Shaking or unstable feeling in neck/head.
How do you know if your cervical spine is misaligned?
Possible signs that your spine is out of alignment include:
- chronic headaches.
- lower back pain.
- neck pain.
- knee pain.
- hip pain.
- frequent illnesses.
- excessive fatigue.
- numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
Can tight neck muscles affect blood flow to brain?
Even a small misalignment can be the start of serious problems. When contracted muscles knot up in your neck, they reduce blood and oxygen circulation to your brain. Your brain uses almost one fourth of your body’s blood supply at any given time, so when the blood vessels to your head are constricted, you feel it.
How do you know if you have cervical instability?
What are the symptoms of cervical instability?
- Inability to hold up the head for an extended period of time.
- Upper neck pain near the skull.
- Referred pain to the shoulders.
- Head feels heavy.
- Tightness or stiffness in neck muscles.
- Tenderness.
- Headaches.
- Shaking or unstable feeling in neck/head.
What are the signs and symptoms of subluxation?
Symptoms
- Pain and swelling around the joint.
- A sensation of joint instability.
- Limited mobility or the loss of range of motion.
- Loss of feeling or numbness (usually temporary)
- Bruising1
How can I fix my cervical instability?
Most commonly, cervical instability is treated using one or more of the following techniques:
- Injections.
- Physical therapy.
- Joint stabilization.
- Manipulation.
- Fusion surgery.
- Medications.
What do you do if you have cervical instability?
Some treatments that are commonly implemented for the relief of cervical instability symptoms include:
- Injection therapy.
- Physical manipulation.
- Joint stabilization.
- Physical therapy.
- Fusion surgery.
- Medical therapy.
What are the neurologic disorders of craniocervical junction?
Craniocervical junction abnormalities are congenital or acquired abnormalities of the occipital bone, foramen magnum, or first two cervical vertebrae that decrease the space for the lower brain stem and cervical cord. These abnormalities can result in neck pain; syringomyelia; cerebellar, lower cranial nerve,…
Is there such a thing as craniocervical syndrome?
Although the validity of craniocervical syndrome is not generally accepted 9), the term still appears in the literature. Yang Choen Lie 10) described a sympathetic disorder associated with cervical ‘‘arthritis’’ in his thesis of 1928. The causes of craniocervical syndrome can be congenital or acquired.
Can a bone tumor develop at the craniocervical junction?
A rare, slow-growing bone tumor (called a chordoma) can develop at the craniocervical junction and press on the brain or spinal cord. Typically, people with a craniocervical junction disorder have neck pain, often with a headache that starts at the back of the head. Symptoms can start after a slight neck injury or for no apparent reason.
How does craniocervical instability affect the nervous system?
The result is that the bones that make up the lower skull and upper spine get pushed out of their normal anatomic location and begin to impinge on or cause stretching of these parts of the nervous system. Craniocervical Instability can result from or be exacerbated by a trauma, such as a severe whiplash injury.
