I have had chiropractic adjustments for the better part of the last 25 years following a head trama which gave me a concussion and bad whiplash. I have suffered bad headachesand and tinnitus ever since. The adjustments have always helped, adjusting the neck is especialy helpful for the headaches. Also, deep tissue massage of the neck muscles helps considerably with the chiropractor adjustment directly following the massage. Prior to my AN surgery (middle fosa) almost 3 years ago, I asked my surgeon to approve some PT to start in the hospital for my neck and back. I explained to him that I already had neck issues and it was my understanding that my neck/head would be held in a vice like deivce holding it hyperextended to the left side. Althought an expert in the field of removing AN's, but not ever having the surgery himself, he told me I would not need any PT, and therefore it was never ordered for me. Of course, my neck was so tweeked after that I was in agony. I managed to get them to bring me a heating pad in the hospital. But it was not until about 4 mo post op that I went in to the chiropractor for my first adjustment. It took a long time but the massage and adjustments really helped. If you can find a chiropractor who employs massage therapists, it's ideal as it is paid by my insurance as part of my 20 chiro visits a year. The massage therapist suggested cranial sacrial which I was very excited to try, but the only one near here who does it had just been bitten by a dog at the time and lost the tip of her finger. SO instead, the massage therapist and I at home did some very mild massage of my scalp which relaly helped sooth. Also, my scalp all around the incision seemed to be stuck the skull. So the mild massage helped to eventually break it away. I still go, not often enough, and it always helps.
As far as not having your neck adjusted until after treatment, I guess it would all depend on where the AN is situated, if the tumor is effecting any nerves that might also be effected by a neck manipulation, or if it's pressing on the brian stem, might be reasons a neck adjustment would be bad??. Otherwise it wouldn't seem that doing the neck for some relief would cause problems with a tumor that has probably been there quite some time, but then I'm no doctor. I was having manipulations all those years and the tumor was there all that time, I just didn't know it. I, like you always blamed my headaches on the neck. I understand that once you injur an area, especially the neck, it becomes a weak part of the body and anytime you are stressed, the stress will go right to the weakest area of the body, thus causing the headaches, which is why the adjustments made sense to me.
My headaches did start getting worse and worse and the tinnitus was getting much worse. Then I noticed my hearing was getting bad. I thought for a long time that my hearing was fine, I just couldn't hear over the tinnitus, but all these symptoms is what caused me to go to the doc and eventually find out about the AN. I have read somewhere on this forum that prior head trama can possibly be linked to the growth of the AN?? It would be interesting to know.
If the neck adjustments really help you, you may want to call the ENT back and find out why he thinks it's a bad idea. It sure would be nice if you could get some releif, especially with the added stress your under since your diagnosis.
Good Luck, and sorry your part of the AN club now, but welcom aboard. In the meantime, alternate ice & heat for some relief.
patti ut
