I have not been diagnosed at this point, as there is no one to diagnose me…
I have an appt with a skull base ENT on Tuesday. He is known (as best we can tell) to be (how do I say), not aware or care ?? about IJV compression. My styloid is not particularly long, however, my C1 prefers to twist forward on the left side putting it closer to the styloid when I’m looking straight and I suspect very close when I turn my head to the left.
So not interested in wasting time, energy and money with yet another Dr. who won’t take this seriously.
So question is would there be any other reason to keep the appt? CT w contrast is after this appt … so at a minimum, thinking I will move it until those results are back.
I ‘think’ this image from CBCT (panoramic x-ray from Oral Surgeon) shows the C1 rotation and proximity to styloids…
I think you’d be wise to put your appt off until you’ve had your CT & results are in. Good forward thinking on your part @Leah. It will save you both time & $. It does look like your whole C-1 vertebra is rotated - downward on the right & upward on the left. Several of our members have visited an Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractor (you can search for posts about this), to try to get their C-1 vertebra moved back to a more normal position. There are also YouTube videos that show the process. I’m not sure how good the results have been but I know some cases have seen success in at least partially correcting the position of C-1. It might be something for you to look into.
Thank you Isaiah! As I’m understanding this more, things are definitely becoming clearer. I have had treatment with Atlas Orthogonal and came away thinking my muscles are pulling this out every night, so the next day was/has been Groundhog day. And I haven’t gone back. However, I would if I had an event and needed help. It absolutely worked to put it back (temporarily in my case).
After all the PT, dry needling, dr appts, the first time I heard that I ‘might’ can help myself with my C1 rotation was from MSK Neurology, Kjetil Larsen, by strengthening specific muscles. I was on the way towards learning the muscles when this acute situation happened and thus found out I have a styloid/C1 mashup.
And I’ll say for those who like me have chronic neck issues, I have been using gentle self traction with a small towel. Seeing nice benefits with C1 after giving space and reduction of intercranial pressure… might be a pressure relief technique for others as well.
@Leah - It’s so great to learn that you’ve found methods to help w/ the C-1 rotation that you can do at home. Muscle work makes total sense but I’m sorry you’ve been waylaid by the ES situation. Again, good job being proactive in looking at how to help yourself!!
I totally understand your feeling about the A-O approach & Groundhog day! I saw a cranial-sacral osteopath for several sessions to try to resolve some neck/skull issues. He did help me a bit but kept saying I was an osteopath’s dream because I had so much for him to work on. All I could think was, “My body has been in this condition for so many years, it’s just going to go back as it was as soon as I quit seeing you.”
I realize that it’s my job to do the work to help “adjustments” to stay, but even w/ that, they often don’t.
Honestly, neck traction sounds like a heavenly idea. I will try that tonight. My neck is a bit messed up from a whiplash injury many years ago. Except for ES, it hasn’t been too much of a problem until recently. Time for me to be proactive, too!!
Yes, thank you. My suboccipital area was so inflamed that I couldn’t do this for a while. This video is good… with styloid I just lift up and am skipping side and down traction.
And yes absolutely on you intuition that your body would go right back. Mine certainly did.
The other helpful thing I was doing and am starting back is walking… I was walking for hours and it was helping get blood to muscles that seem deprived … (all those on the left where my styloid/C1 tight proximity is). When I can’t walk I try to stand as much as possible. Having had bedrest with my twins, realized how quickly the body atrophies… set a goal way back then, I’d try my best to avoid that situation if I could.
