Nerve pain in scalp

[Gwenen]

Hi, I had a fall and hit my head 18 months ago and was diagnosed with post concussion syndrome. I had nerve sensitivity at the site of the injury, top left of my head, for a while but thought it was finally settled. Now, all of a sudden I'm getting burning and occasional throbbing where I hit my head. Has anyone experienced this so long after an injury they thought was healed? Due to the location I'm wondering about occipital neuralgia. All the best, Wendy

[AndrewT]

Dear Wendy,

Eighteen months is perhaps a 'bit' too long, to be getting Symptoms, although Nerves CAN take 'quite some time' to re-grow. Can I ask how hard, did you hit your head? Did you need Hospital treatment? Did you suffer any 'Brain Injury' Problems- lack of co-ordination, for example.

I had a Kidney Transplant, in July 2013, and, although now Extremely Rare- I can occasionally get 'Strange Sensations' down my Right Leg, from where the Nerves were cut.

If you 'Clouted Bl--DY Hell', out of you poor 'Bonce', and where in Hospital for 'ages', then YES you could, very well, still be recovering. If you 'fell down the stairs', knocked your head, bruised your arm and 'hurt' your foot-- before 'limping' into the Living Room-- then perhaps 'Talk' to your GP.

See if you can get, your Doctor, on the Phone Wendy. Be a 'patient' Patient though, especially at this time.

Wishing you well Wendy, can you let us 'know' how you Get On please?

AndrewT

[Gwenen in reply to AndrewT]

Hi Andrew T, thanks for your reply. I slipped back on a wet pavement and hit a stone wall with a rough, rustic surface so it was quite a clout! I didnt lose consciousness and was checked in hospital twice, and besides feeling tired, woozy and sick for a good few weeks, the main symptom for me has always been sensitivity in the area which affected getting my hair cut where there was pulling and yanking on the hair. That went on for over a year and I thought it was finally better. These sensations are sporadic and not severe but very much localised to the area. Sounds like in your case, there could still be some sensitivity for years to come. I feel fine in myself but if it continues will query on "Ask my GP'.

Thanks again and I hope you are keeping safe and well.

Best, Wendy

[Painting-girl in reply to Gwenen]

Hi Wendy, I didn't pass out either, but had post amnesia.

Just because it wasn't a severe brain injury though, you can still have lasting problems, as post concussion symptoms are found right across the spectrum of brain injuries, but am guessing you know this. A mild traumatic brain injury is only mild in that it is not life threatening, and many do resolve within a short time frame, but my consultant says that recent research indicates that circa 50% do not fully recover from MBTI in thr longer term.

The concussion specialist physio I saw had found problems in my neck at the base of my skull which triggered right top frontal headaches (my bang was on the top right of my head) I'm wondering if your pain is something similar though?

Jen x

[Gwenen in reply to Painting-girl]

Hi Jen

Thanks for sharing your experience. I agree these so called mild TBIs are anything but mild and just when you think you're better something returns. I do wonder about the neck connection too. I get a lot of tension in my neck and spend far too much time looking down at my phone! I will keep an eye on these strange 'sensations' and see the GP if they keep happening. I'm not expecting any great revelations though as she has pretty much said 'how long is a piece of string?' when it comes to duration of these injuries! Take care, Wendy

[Painting-girl in reply to Gwenen]

You too Wendy, at least your GP sounds realistic. I got referred to a specialist concussion physio - who came up with the neck issue - he could prod a point at the base of my skull and trigger a frontal headache pain - something about some nerves not going through the spinal cord.

[Amber-11 in reply to Painting-girl]

It is helpful to hear a consultant saying 50% .I was told by one or two neurologists that it was text book that 30% of people don't recover from a mild head injury or tbi.

And by a professor, who is the head of his department, in a headache clinic in a neurology department in a nhs hospital:

said in his online lecture that prophylatics for migraines do not work for 40% of people.

I wish this was more widely known as it is usually described as very few don't recover from tbi mild headinjury; and that the drugs work.I had a big bang to my head in an rta over a decade ago.

I hope you get better soon and I hope you are not having headaches or migraines. On the nhs website there is a page which explains medication overuse headaches, and that you cannot take more tha two doses per week of a painkiller etc. What is not explained is that for 40% prophylatics do not work, then people might understand why some people do not get better.

[Amber-11 in reply to Amber-11]

I do want to get better though and I keep trying new treatments and have found slow non impact exercise helps.

[Gwenen in reply to Amber-11]

Hi Painting Girl and Amber-11

Good to hear from you both and I hope your weekends are starting headache free! These injuries really are life changing with these long term, often quite subtle effects. I'm sure tension doesn't help. You got me thinking about neck physio...I'm currently having remote physio for my hip so might ask my physio to throw in a few neck strengthening exercises too! Take care ladies, lots of love, Wendy x

[Painting-girl in reply to Gwenen]

Hi Wendy and Amber

Good to hear from you too 😊 My neck exercises from my physio do ease my headache - so yes, perhaps try?

Jen xx

[Painting-girl in reply to Amber-11]

Exercise within your limits does seem to help x

[Painting-girl in reply to Amber-11]

Hi Amber, yes, this was from my neuropsychiatrist (who I was referred to by a head injury specialising neurologist in London) he is also a senior lecturer. He feels that the number may actually even be higher than 50% as there very few long term studies. Wish my GP and neurologist number one, had been a bit clearer on that point... and a lot of stuff published on the web! (The arbitrary 3- 6 months comments are really upsetting).

The neurologist said that post traumatic migraine is different from ordinary migraine, and can resolve.

There seems to be quite a variation in treatment, because the neuropsychiatrist said that the migraine prophylactic drugs the local neurologist prescribed (and for me, had grim side effects) weren't used anymore. I also came off amitryptline, because he thought that its main benefit was because of its effect on sleep. Bizzarely it did seem to sort out a very painful plantar fascitis problem in my foot at that time - so I assume it does have some impact on pain even so!

Yes I was told not to take any over the counter painkillers - and about the medication overuse headaches too. I found icepacks and meditation helped in the absence of painkillers.

I had a continual headache, and two to three migraine like episodes on top of that every week originally.

Given that cognitive or physical fatigue can still trigger ny headaches, what stopped them from being the norm was an SNRI that is usually prescribed for fibromyalgia pain, plus specialist concussion physio from a chap called Theo Farley that neurologist number 2 referred me too. He did a combined approach of physio on my neck (of a different type to anything I'd has before). Oculomotor and balance exercises for the problems I had/ have in busy environments like supermarkets, fatigue management, and graded exercise to reset ny autonomic nervous system based on Leddy' s research in Buffalo USA. Theo had got into concussion stuff from looking after athletes with concussion. So which particular strand worked I don't know exactly. But I think the neck work and oculomotor exercises did help, and this was after some months of going to a local general physio for ny neck.

Looking back, the same fatigue management that works now, also worked for the headaches and nausea early on - basically to spot that overload/ flat battery is likely to happen, and taking preemptive breaks , like lying down flat with my eyes shut ( or meditating using Headspace) for at least ten minutes (every hour if need be). I also add in set breaks two to three times a day - the main ones being mid morning and mid afternoon - and I should factor in one around five PM to make sure I have enough steam to get supper ( doesn't always happen...)

My Duloxetine dose has been halved lately, and I feel a bit more prone to background headaches, but then I'm not travelling back into London yet for work on my neck - and it does feel a bit cranky lately..

Jen x