Bottom Lip Numbness, Head/Neck Injury, Possible Stroke Risk?

Posted By C.Wells on November 08, 1998 at 06:28:37:







Dear Neurology Forum,
First off I want to thank you for offering this service, I have spent
much time here, it is very informative in reading your answers to
other peoples posts, etc. I have looked for something similiar to my
problem, but have not found any current or archived information that
"seemed" to address my concerns, so here is my situation with my
questions.  I imagine it is a fulltime job/+ keeping up with all the
questions your site responds to. Thank you again for all your hard work!:)
Here are some symptoms I am concerned about, and just want an opinion if
it is a valid concern, and something I should seek medical attention for.
I have had ongoing problems since being rear ended in auto-accident while
at a complete stop in March of this year.  I have been in doctor limbo
hell, and have recently moved to another state and have been between
medical and/ or physical therapy treatments and my symptoms have worsened
greatly.
I have two protruding dics at C5-6, & C6-7, but no spinal chord
compression was observed on my MRI in "April" of this year.  "AFTER" that
MRI, in the months of June and then again in early September,
I had some Physical Therapy which involved "very aggressive" traction
to my neck, and my neck has not been the same since.  Heat and electrodes
during Physical Therapy seem to band-aid the problem, but my neck pain
continues to flare up and cause severe pain.  I can turn my head side to
side, but nodding up and down is almost impossible, the pain and pressure
sensation are so severe.  In WA state before my move to CA, the Neuro-
surgeon that I saw thought possibly during the traction, some excess disc
material may have ruptured out, and/or the disc/s itself has come out more,
since the MRI done in April.  Some of the strange symptoms I have
had since the aggressive traction and head pulling in June, are feelings
of fluid rushing up the back of my neck/ type sensations, and crackling
on and off when I turn my head at times.  SEVERE pain in the occipital
area in the back of my neck, a severe pain/ tenderness that prevents me
from being able to nod my head up and down without chronic pain and
tightness.  The past few weeks, when I sleep on my pillow on my stomach
with my head turned to the right, my bottom lip goes numb.  Today my
bottom lip numbness, and area just below the nose to the outer corner
of my top lip was numb, and constant.  It came on in the afternoon and
has been present all day.
I have looked up online information regarding stroke warning signs, and
TIA's, and am wondering if this lip numbness could be a sign?  The
fluid type rushing symptoms I feel up the back of my neck make me wonder
if it is related to blood flow I am hearing?.....or could it be disc
material?  Coupled with the crackling noises and the pain and tightness
in my neck that extends to the very bottom of the back of my head, have
me concerned that possibly the aggressive traction done to my neck could
have possibly caused some type of artery/blood flow problem. I might add
that my neck is SO tight, that "currently" my new Physical Therapist and my new state, AND a
Chiropractor I have consulted, REFUSE to do any aggressive/muscle therapy
with me until my neck is checked out with some imaging,x-ray, etc. IF and
this is a big IF,...I did have some symptoms of stroke possibility related to
cerebral or a subarachnoid hemorrage, how long would it take to
manifest itself?  I am worried that the traction caused something to
become horribly wrong.......and the sensations I am feeling are blood
rushing through the artery's, etc.  My husband thinks if something
would have went wrong in THAT way, that it would have been evident
immediately or within days of the traction episode in early September.
I on the otherhand worry that it could be a "slow type leak" of a possible
stroke.
Here are my questions:  1. Is it possible to sustain an injury to the
                           head/neck arterys (whether a weakening of an
                           artery, or a hemorrage/slow leak from one)from
                           aggressive pulling of neck/head, and if any
                           hemorraging were to be a result, how long
                           would it take to manifest itself,....IF
                           it could even go on for months,(without even
                           knowing it) or would it be something that a
                           person would know right away after the head/
                           neck trauma occured?  
                        2. The rushing/fluid type sensations I feel up
                           the back of my neck, coupled with the on and
                           off crackling, could this be blood I am hearing
                           rushing through the veins in my neck, or would
                           it be due to disc material?  What could explain
                           these rushing noises/ types of sensations?  
                        3. Could the lower lip numbness and above the
                           outer corner just above upper lip numbness to
                           nose be indicative of a TIA?  It has been
                           going on for almost two weeks now on and off,
                           but has been "constant" the past day and a half.
                           I also have had tinnitus on and off during this
                           this time frame also. (Not sure if that would
                           be related to a TIA, lip numbness is more my
                           concern).
Thank you so much for reading my long post, and addressing my questions
above.  Anything you can suggest in the way of treatment that may be of
benefit for me would be greatly appreciated, to help me help my doctor
(it's been him-haw-maybe this, etc., and I'm at the point where I want
help, not just vagueness from the doctors anymore).  Thank you for your
time and understanding! - C.Wells