I found that I have problems with my two styloids two years ago and I was able to find a doctor at the hopsital linked to the University of Padova in July 2019. He proposed to me the resection of the left styloid first and to insert me in the his list of patients. Then, in January of this year, I had a whiplash and the lockdown forced hopsitals to postpone all the non-urgent interventions. Since the whiplash, I have neck pain, confusion and a kind of anhedonia which could be symptoms of a concussion. Now I feel very bad and, while waiting for the intervention, I have also to manage the whiplash and post-concussion symptoms. I am very confused. Does somebody have a similar experience? What should be the priorities? Thanks for your attention.
I am a figure skater, which leads to a lot of falls and whiplash along with the occasional concussion. For the whiplash some (gentle) neck stretches would probably be good. However, the concussion is really only going to be helped by rest. So get as much non screen rest as possible as you let your brain heal.
Ideally you’d have the whiplash under control before having surgery as that will probably make your neck muscles tight. Can you see a physical therapist to help with the pain from the whiplash?
Poor you, I hope that you don’t have to wait too long. I had physiotherapy, but very, very gentle stretches- lying down, turn your head slowly & gently to the side 10 times, & tuck your chin gently & slowly towards your chest five times. Must be very careful though- I had traction & manipulation on my neck after a whiplash injury by a misguided doctor & it was agony!
If you do see a PT, make sure they understand ES- one of our members has written & posted a research paper in that section specifically for therapists.
Best wishes!
Thank you. I had an improvement on the concentration symptoms of concussion even if the emotional side is still on recovery, I hope. I did physical therapy too but pain appears again after a while and I think it is on the styloids’ region mainly. You are right I am working to be in the best conditions for surgery. Merry Christmas.
Thank you. I am working in the direction you suggest Merry Christmas.
p.s. I am going to see an osteopath and I am considering to do a 3D CT scan of the styloids to see if they had further problems due to whiplash and to avoid erroneous and dangerous manipulations. You are right about surgery but the COVID situation in Italy is still out of control and in the public hospitals they are postponing all interventions for people whose life is not in danger. It may take at least a year more to be considered again. Many thanks again.
I war answering to Jules too but I did a reply on an erroneous button.
It would be interesting to see if there’s any change since the whiplash injury if you’re able to get a scan- whipladh injuries do seem to be quite a common potential cause of ES ( neck trauma is a known cause), so more inflammation & possibly calcification could have occured.
So sorry that your country has been badly affected by covid, the UK has too & quite a few members have had appointments & surgeries delayed. So difficult for everyone.
Thank you, I will try to do it as it could be also useful for the surgeon I think. Yes, subjectively I feel more inflammation in the styloids’area since whiplash. Moreover, I had another one 26 years ago which could have contributed to or even started the calcification process.
The entire World is paying for COVEìID 19 and I consider myself lucky as I did not get it till now even if i must postpone my intervention.
I had whiplash very early on twice in my life and wonder how much it contributed to my styloids and calcifications developing over the last few decades. I had my 1st ES in April and had a concussion in mid-august. I was pretty miserable for a few weeks and did see most symptoms subside within a 3-4 weeks.
A new CT would probably be a good idea to see if the whiplash caused movement. I continued to get neck adjustments and massage. I am so supportive of osteopaths, particularly those with expertise in cranial-sacral manipulation which is very gentle subtle manipulations. I wish I had found one early in my life after my whiplashs. A good osteopath w cranial sacral expertise can put their hands on your skull and tell which direction the impact came from.
Many thanks. Tomorrow I will contact a radiologist to ask him for a 3D scan of the styloids. Then, the next week I will meet a new osteopath who was trained in one of the best schools in UK and now works in my region in Italy. Till now, I only did standard physical therapy. It reduced pain but I think the osteopath coud help me further. Then, when possible, given the COVID contraints, I will try to meet again the surgeon.
Best wishes
I happened upon a very old senior osteopath that was well versed in cranial sacral manipulation. It was hands down the most effective therapy I have ever had as far as releasing all the tightness in my skull. I had wished I met this man early in my life after my whiplashes. Alot of PT / OT and even osteopaths say they know how to do cranial sacral work but have only attended a few weekend classes. It is very hard to find someone who is skillful. I did learn though that most who are skilled are trained by “Upledger Institute”
heres a good link: https://www.upledger.com/
Many thanks. I found now using your link that the certified main school applying that method in Italy is in Trieste: 50 km from where I live!
p.s. so very closed. Morevoer, some operators are even in my town.
That is GREAT! Good luck in finding a good one. 
If you go to the school, you might be able to get some free services?
I do not think so since they are not supported by the state, as it is the case for “official” therpists, they would need money to survive.
I’m sorry I’ve missed this discussion, but just want to say you’ve been given very good advice. I, too, am sorry for the delay in your surgery, your subsequent whiplash injury & the new pain you’re struggling with. I hope the new osteopath is able to help reduce your symptoms.
When you do have surgery, we would like to have the name of your surgeon as we have had several members from Italy who couldn’t find anyone to do ES surgery for them.
I hope this new year sees your good health returning.
Many thanks and happy new year. I will see the osteopath the next week and I hope he will understand the complexity of the situation. I should have surgery with Rosario Marchese Ragona at the University of Padova who told me that there is a clinical evidence of the pathological degeneration of the left styloid which should be removed first. Then, we shall consider the right one which is long but broken. I saw him the last year but sice then all non “urgent” surgery interventions in the public service have been postponed to the full control of COVID 19:…who knows when?
Happy New year to you, too!
Thank you for your surgeon’s name. It sounds like he is knowledgeable. Please make sure to ask how much of the styloid he will remove & if he removes the stylohyoid ligaments if they are partially or fully calcified. We have found cutting styloids back to the skull base AND removal of the stylohyoid ligaments, even if they are only partially calcified, provides the best long-term results for stopping symptoms.
It is also important for you to know that in bilateral cases like yours, after one styloid is removed, symptoms from the remaining styloid can flare up giving the illusion that surgery didn’t help. Do not be fooled. Having the remaining styloid taken out can make all the difference.
I hope things w/ COVID settle down in 2021 so you can proceed w/ your surgery.