Has anyone heard of this? I’ve been trying to connect some of the dots on what is going on post unilateral styloidectomy and keep coming back to my unilateral wisdom teeth removal just 3-6 months before my symptoms first started 12 years ago. My head always wants to turn to the right. I had thought it was to pull away from the pain to start but it’s definitely an alignment thing.
I’m wondering if this all started from having trauma in the way of Cranial Somatic Dysfunction that just progressively got worse. This snippet from a research paper discusses the varied symptoms when it progresses beyond the cranium to affect the full spine and other systems.
For those of us still suffering post op, I’m wondering how much something like this could still be affecting us. The other day, I felt the right stylohyoid ligament snap while lying in bed awake unable to sleep with a neck brace on. I’d positioned my head so that it was facing forward in the brace and I think the tension on the ligament caused it to snap. I can’t feel it sitting there anymore and my neck is more free moving. Unfortunately this has brought about a burning sensation (like shingles) when I lie down at night, along with a fast heart rate and sweating. It’s horrible and I’ve been to the er four times in the last week. But fentonyl is the only thing that makes the symptoms go away. And as you can guess no one is in the slightest interested to hear my through of the ligament snapping.
I’m not interested in taking narcotic meds (though ive just started to take some gabapentin again), I’d rather try to solve the issue at hand so last night I did some manual manipulation (of my head and neck) to help reposition some of the muscles in the back of the neck and I was able to sleep through. It’s by no means solved, but I think that Somatic Dysfunction is possibly the thing holding me back now … along with vascular compression from the c1 process.
How many have tried Craniosacral Therapy post op?
Sorry this is a bit of a ramble but hope to start a convo about something that I haven’t seen mentioned on here before.
I would imagine that the subconscious head turning urge has likely been with you for longer than you think - probably well before teeth extraction. Probably postural muscle compensations (just generally since we aren’t typically symmetrical creatures) or due to your ES. Almost everyone’s imaging I look at have an off center C1/C2, which would suggest that muscles are working in a way that are resulting in a subtle head turn and tilt in a direction. I wonder what the prevalence of the cranium turning is in those who get wisdom teeth out.
Are you saying that you think your right stylohyoid ligament has completely snapped (i.e., has been severed)? I think something has happened, but I would be beyond surprised to say the least if that is what has occured - particularly if the ligament is not calcified. It is far too flexible and malleable in it’s typical state to snap. I guess it would be possible if it was calcified because it would be more rigid and susceptible to snapping. Am I remembering correctly that your stylohyoid ligaments were normal but you had longer styloids? More likely (in my opinion) you strained the ligament or it’s actually a muscle somewhere in there that is strained, or your hyoid bone is interfering with a carotid artery and it’s referring pain. But you never know, maybe you’re right about the stylohyoid ligament.
I also wonder what the implications are when someone only gets one styloid removed. I would imagine that the body would feel asymmetrical, and I’d wonder how that could effect posture and feeling pulled to one side.
@BraveKat if you want, I could take a look through your latest CT and attempt to figure out what could be happening on your right side? You could send me a link to a google drive with your imaging in it. You wouldn’t be anonymous to me anymore but I wouldn’t be sharing any of your personal information.
It’s definitely since tooth extraction that it’s been turned as I had no trouble opening my mouth beforehand and have had all the checks for TMJ like an MRi etc and don’t have any issues with the joints. Since reading about this I’ve taken it upon myself to continue manually adjusting my head and neck and jaw (enough to feel something but without discomfort) and have started to feel relief behind my jaw where it meets the bottom of the ear.
I had calcified ligaments - 34mm on the left surgery side and 11mm on the right unopened side. In my last CT I saw I had very minimal calcification half way along the ligament on the right too and imagine it would have snapped there. I’ve seen a few ct images on this forum with members who have snapped ligaments and am very confident this is what has happened. There was a very clear snapping sound without any pain, and an instant freeing up under the jaw.
Possibly saved myself a surgery - I’ve had another ct since then so will check when I get the files to see if that’s the case.
I’m looking forward to trying craniosacral therapy based on my suspicions of Cranial Somatic Dysfunction to see how things go for me. I’d prefer not to have another surgery if I don’t have to.
Also the latest ct apparently showed no carotid involvement with the hyoid which is good. I’ll have to double check that too when I get the files too.
I agree that there are definite implications when the ligament is not removed on both sides if there is any sign of calcification. I haven’t been able to get any ES specialist to date to agree that the right might be holding me back so am thankful that it’s snapped on it own. Heaps of work with realignment of the head/jaw/spine before I will be able to tell if I’m on the right track forward but I think I may be. Fingers crossed anyway.
My first symptoms were difficulty breathing/restricted breathing and rib pain (first two ribs) along with an increased heart rate. This started about 3-6 months after the teeth extraction. I wasn’t able to open my mouth fully (it deviated also) once the swelling of the surgery went down. I also kept getting random fevers leading up to the rib pain and restricted breathing, which I understand can be a sign of spinal issues.
If you did snap the calcified stylohyoid ligament, I wonder if the body will somehow break down the calcification that would now be floating around somewhere in your neck? I believe the body will break down a healthy ligamentous stylohyoid ligament but I’m not sure it would break down calcified sections or not?
That’s really interesting, thanks for posting that…we have had some members who have tried craniosacral therapy, I think it’s helped some.
I hope that what you’re trying helps, & that you don’t have to have any more trips to hospital, it sounds like it could be vagus nerve related?
Sending you a hug
@BraveKat - It really sounds like you’re onto something that could be very helpful w/ the Cranial Somatic Dysfunction information. My head tends to tip slightly to the left naturally. I had a whiplash injury in my early 20s & the right side of my cervical spine suffered more from the injury than the left. I dislike how I look when in pictures w/ my “crooked head” so I’ve been making a more conscious effort to try to hold it level which might be helping it become more permanently centered.
I tried cranio-cervical therapy some years ago but didn’t stick with it long enough for it to help. I subsequently went to an osteopathic doctor who did gentle work w/ his hands. After 10 sessions, I had no pain in my neck, skull base & spine. It was amazing, but I knew I’d need periodic follow-up with him to maintain my pain-free state, & he was quite expensive so I didn’t keep seeing him. It did demonstrate that w/ the right therapy, being more pain free is possible.
I hope that w/ your ligament’s potential self adjustment & the new freedom of movement you have in your neck, plus w/ your own manual therapy, you’re able to begin feeling considerable lessening of your pain. I think cranio-cervical therapy could also serve you well.
@Michelled - I deleted your Google Drive link because it had your personal ID in it but sent it to @TML via PM so he can access it.
To send a private message (PM) to someone, click on their screen name or avatar as they appear above that person’s post. That will take you to a page where you can send a PM to that person.
