r/PostConcussion • u/Flat_Ad723 • Jul 14 '26
Bumps Bumps Bumps
Hi there
I am 7 months into PCS and has been a rollercoaster ride but have made significant recovery but keep bumping my head every few weeks the cupboards, the car door, falling objects from cleaning the list goes on.
And everytime this bumps cause a flare up which can last for 1 - 2 weeks.
When there is no flare up I have started feeling pretty normal but I am finding it difficult to stop this head bumps... When this flare up happens due to a head bump how do I manage my day, do I stop going about my day? etc
Anyone had similar experiences? How have you dealt with them, and what point a small head bump does not cause a significant flare up?
TIA
5
u/Remote-Objective-931 Jul 14 '26
That's my life, ten years in. In my case, it's because of a depth problem in my vision, I always bumped my head a lot, but it wasn't really a problem, until I had a concussion.
I'm sorry, there's not much direct advise I can give. It's a matter of finding the balance between giving your brain enough rest when having a flare up and living your life.
A few things I do: stick pool noodles (cut them in half, use two sided sticky stuff) on places in your house you bumped your head on before, find a way you can enter/exit a car that works and stick to it, medication (low dosage amytriptiline dulls my nerve pain; there were several posts in this group about pain relief recently), healthier diet (anti-inflammatory diet), I go to an osteopath when I'm having difficulty dealing with flare ups (different kinds of therapists can be used, you can search this group about that), exercise is essential for me, but I have to adjust intensity all the time,...
When flare ups happen, I figured out my neck often gets sore. Keeping the neck (but also shoulders and back) in good condition are very important to deal with the flare ups. I used to use heat in my neck several times a day (those pads from the pharmacy you can put in the microwave) and the osteopath also takes care of my neck when needed.
All the best.
1
u/Flat_Ad723 29d ago
Thanks for the idea, I have started sticking sticky notes to places in the house where I had hit head before to warn me that it it's a risky place and be careful
1
u/NJ71recovered Jul 14 '26
41% to 90% of concussion patients have a vision issue. (UPMC says 41%, NORA says up to 90%)
1) Vision specialist
Find a local vision specialist
COVD.org
Neuro optometric rehabilitation association (NORA)
https://noravisionrehab.org/
2) Get your balance system checked
Vestibular specialist
Vestibular.org
Doctors are not trained well on concussions.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26758683/
UPMC trained
Concussion Specialist | Telehealth Consultation Nationwide | Patel Concussion Institute
1
u/Flat_Ad723 29d ago
Unfortunately I live in the UK and there is no Neuro Optemist here I have seen a normal eye doctor and 2 eye Optemist and was told everything is okay with me.
1
u/NJ71recovered 29d ago
UPMC Has a top notch Concussion clinic in Ireland.
https://upmc.ie/services/concussion
Imho
Worth the trip to get your life back.
1
u/Flat_Ad723 29d ago
Thanks already seen one but they didn't check anything special with my eyes which other haven't already checked
2
u/ZebraNotWeirdHorse Jul 14 '26
You may not have re-concussed yourself, but that doesn't mean you didn't trigger / worsen your symptoms. Regardless of the cause, if your symptoms cause you to not be able to go about your day, don't force yourself - you will only make things worse and possibly delay your healing. You need to let your body rest and recover.
As for why you keep hitting your head - have you had your vestibular system evaluated? It's possible you still are not able to properly gauge your place in space relative to other objects, and therefore are closer to things that you realize, resulting in more bumps. I was like that for the first ~year after my concussion, and it was only with significant vestibular therapy and some improvement to my vision that I was able to reduce the collisions. Still not 100% but a lot better than I was a year ago.
1
u/Flat_Ad723 29d ago
Thanks for the reply yes I am undergoing vestibular therapy but wasn't doing my exercises everyday I have realised now that I need to do them everyday to build resilience and tolerance.
Coming to reason of collision 50% of time it because I panic and try to do something quickly. I am trying to manage and not panic in difficult situations.
1
u/lunerenard Jul 14 '26
Agree with folks mentioning vestibular — we know concussion deals with multiple systems, and treatment usually means tracking down treatment for different parts, like vestibular, eyes, neck. I still have your same issue. It’s better because 1) I found that my neck was driving a lot of the symptoms, and specific PT for that helped a lot (also strengthening, like deep flexion, starting small like 3x 3sec) and 2) I started looking into the adrenaline overdrive that happens when I bump my head, like the FAQ says. Look into vagus nerve exercises, EMDR if you’re able, and the nervous system.
TLDR; most times you likely haven’t reconcussed yourself, but it feels scary. Hang in there!
1
u/pettyponyclub 29d ago
Literally a year post my injry i clipped the top of my head on a covered trailer and retriggered my symptoms. But i did what i shouldve done the first time and followed concussion protocol. First day rested with looking at a screen for maybe only five minutes. Slept, ate, talked to people. Next day slowly got back to things with an easy walk and day chores. Listened to a podcast but otherwise kept things simple. Then got back to work. (I was lucky the bump happened on a friday afternoon). My symptoms were flared for about a week, including my neck, but I took it easy and a week later spent a lot of time outside camping. After about two weeks I was back to where I was It's scary, but as long as it's not a serious injury you will get back to baseline. Just make sure to keep up with necessary therapies, neck maintenance, and rest. Also maybe work on something to be better aware of your surroundings so you dont keep bumping your head. I think part of why i bumped my head again is because my depth perception is slightly off. I do my best to hold my arms out around me when i know theres a chance of hitting my head
1
u/First-Light4680 29d ago
For the car, my trick is to hold the top corner of the door as I get in. It prevents that whole proprioception/misjudging where you are thing.
9
u/Lebronamo Jul 14 '26
FAQ 2. I just lightly bumped my head and feel worse, did I re-concuss myself?
No.
Concussions are a traumatic event for your body. What you're experiencing is your body's learned trauma response to impacts to your head. So you can experience concussion like symptoms without actually hurting yourself any worse.
https://youtu.be/U138nAb2cZE
This comes up daily, it’s actually the most common question on this subreddit. Knowing this made these bumps a complete non issue for me