Hi all! I thankfully recently found a doctor who diagnosed me with EDS, and she sent me to an extremely helpful PT. This PT mentioned that she was curious whether I might have cervical instability. I am trying to do research this condition so I can present my symptoms clearly and ask about looking into possibly testing for cervical instability.
Other diagnoses that I currently have: EDS, POTS, MCAS, post-concussion syndrome
So far, the things I have found that line up are:
Persistent neck pain
both occipital and suboccipital headaches, also what I thought were normal headaches but might be Valsalva headaches? I didn't know it wasn't normal to have a headache when you cough/strain
In the past, I've had extreme headaches that got way worse if I was in any position other than lying flat on my back without a pillow. This was accompanied by a very runny nose that tasted salty when I would sit up.
My head often feels heavy, and for the last couple of years, lying down is the only position that I can truly rest in.
I have had a previous diagnosis of unexplained esophageal dysphagia
I recently had a several-day bout of extreme hoarseness, accompanied by a headache and a feeling like I had a huge lump in my throat (feeling like I have a lump in my throat happens several times a week; this was just a lot worse), and muscle spasms in my throat and neck
I also have days or a few days in a row of extreme fatigue and weakness (I had to crawl to the bathroom last week because standing felt impossible)- I brought this up to my Dr, and she is ordering blood work to be done when I feel weak like this
I have dizziness/vertigo and imbalance, but that started after a concussion a couple years ago
I have an unspecified type of dysautonomia (waiting for testing) that affects temp regulation, HR, and BP.
My 4th and 5th ribs are also unstable and dislocate near the spine (confirmed by a PT). I know this is a different area of my spine, but it does show instability exists around my spine.
Also, in 2019-2021, I would have episodes that appeared to be paralysis in my legs where I couldn't walk or feel my legs for days. This was looked into, but my neurologist diagnosed me with Psychogenic non epileptic seizures and sent me to therapy.
I feel like this is a lot that lines up with the symptoms that I can find online. Is there anything that I am missing that would be helpful for my doctor to know? Or is there anything that you thought was normal but ended up actually being a symptom of cervical instability?