A Weird Symptom — Extreme Sensitivity to Motion and Movement. Please Share Your Thoughts.

[Asian]

Dear Doctor,
We are honored to have you with us on this board. Thank you for joining us. I am 28 years old male . I smashed my head against a wall in March 2014 and have paid a huge price for it. I had instant numbness in my limbs and face after hitting the head which went away after a few days. Basically I don't have much of a life left and is almost halted by PCS (that's what my neuro said I have). MRI brain and cervical area are negative. I have tinnitus and hyperacusis 24/7 and I can't go outside without earplugs.

One symptom that has confused me since ages is extreme sensitivity to motion and movement. It started soon after i hit my head. The sudden jerks and jolts while travelling in a car send shocks to my brain & I can feel every bump on road in my head. It's like my neck is not able to absorb the shocks like it should and I feel like my brain is loose inside my skull without any cushioning and slightly moved vertically when a huge bump comes. If I miss a step and land hard on my feet, that would send a shock to my head. What does this symptom suggest sir?

I had CT cervical too and it showed no abnormal findings whatsoever except loss of cervical lordosis due to muscle spasm probably. I still can't run, jog or jump as this would send shocks to my head. All this is improving painfully slowly and taking months to see minor improvements.

My neuro suggested me that i make my neck muscles strong it will help. Please share your thoughts if you have come across something like this. Can these minor jerks and bumps give me another concussion? Is it related to some kind of inflammation in my brain Sir? Its impossible to be trapped in home and not go anywhere as I have a family to support and go to work.

Please tell me how to get out of this weird symptom. Its about 70% improved in 15 months though. I have no other major symptom apart from this sensitivity. Thank you for your time.

 

[Dr. Ancill]

First of all, I am going to recommend that the detailed answer for you has to be found by your own doctors. Having said that, it sounds like you may have suffered a labyrinthine concussion and damaged your inner ear mechanisms - leading to tinnitus and imbalance. Although this was now 15 months ago, I have similar patients who slowly improve with their balance over longer periods and so-called 'vestibular therapy' with a properly-trained physiotherapist can be helpful. It also sounds like this is complicated by a neck injury. We are now quite aware that trauma to the neck can also cause dizziness and imbalance. The loss of cervical curvature on the CT Scan is possibly important as the question would be what is causing the muscle spasm? The bumps you experience will not cause another concussion - your brain is not any more fragile. I cannot comment on what your neurologist advised but maybe you could ask your family doctor to make a referral to a a physiatrist (a medical specialist in physical medicine & rehabilitation) who would be able to deal with the neck issues. As I would expect, you are improving over time so do not despair, further recovery is likely.