Vertebral artery Puns

Lifelong chronic migraineur here. Typing this from my hospital bed.

I went to the ER with a headache that is not normal for me. It started very suddenly and was much worse than normal.

After a lot of tests, a CT of my head showed a vertebral artery dissection. Basically a small tear in a blood vessel in my brain caused a blood clot. They told me I was very lucky not to have had a stroke. I have been here on blood thinners since.

I am so lucky that I went to the ER instead of just suffering at home. If you feel like your migraine is not normal, be an advocate for yourself!

I was told that this was so common that several research papers were written about this.

So here's my question, whenever you go to a doctor and you complain of some joint pain, he will analyze and prescribe medication. After a bit, if you are able to, he will order some sessions with PT. A surgeon who fixed a broken part of the body will tell you to go to OT and/or PT after you gain strength and are stable enough.

I've yet to see a doctor order someone to go to a chiropractor. Why are they still allowed to have patients and bill insurances?

Also, what encounters have you had in residency with chiropractors? Whether it's seeing their patients after they mess them up or just telling one to eff off.

Left lateral aspect of the medulla and left lateral cerebellum vermis in the upper aspect of the pons were affected. Swallowing, reading, and left coordination are all severely impaired. He's also leaning uncontrollably to the left. Today he's out of ICU and we hope he starts intensive inpatient PT Monday. What are some exercises we can do together to help him swallow and read? Those seem to be the hardest and most important abilities for him. Anyone have experience in this?

Had a student suffer a vertebral artery dissection. Has anyone ever suffered one and then returned to training? If so what was the experience like?

Has anyone else experienced this? I’m at the hospital at the moment, had a couple of TIA attacks as well but no stroke as of yet. Any input is appreciated!

Hi, I'm 26, male.

I have reduced blood flow in my right vertebral artery and the reason is vertebrogenic. I did triplex vascular ultrasound of the extracranial region of the brachiocephalic arteries 9 years ago. It said that the right VA was tortuous at the level of C3-C4 vertebraes (S-shape tortuosity). Also it said that "there was a decrease in the blood flow of the right VA, which may be caused by vertebrogenic influences". I don't think it pinpoints the exact reason or place where the VA blood flow gets disrupted.

Right now I have slight vertigo and slight right ear hearing loss. Nothing happens when I rotate my head. My condition gets worse when I spend a lot of time with my head tilted forward or when sleeping not on my back. I don't have any neck pain or headaches.

It first happened 9 years ago with complete right ear hearing loss and extreme vertigo. A few hours before it happened an orthopedist tilted my head forward quickly. And a day before it happened I was doing bench press (had been going to the gym for 1.5 year though). I stayed in the hospital for a month, then almost recovered (my right ear lost the ability to hear high frequencies, perhaps forever). Then I was mostly fine for around 5-6 years (only getting vertigo occasionally when not sitting straight), until I spent 7 hours in a mascot costume, with its head somehow straining my neck. Since then for the last three years I've had slight vertigo and slight right ear hearing loss, not as extreme as the first time.

Here are some guesses for the causes:

1. Obliquus capitis inferior muscle or another neck muscle spasm, affecting the vertebral artery.
2. Kimmerle anomaly (not full).
3. Tourtuosity of the vertebral artery.
4. Instability of the vertebraes.

Currently I'm trying neck traction, playing table tennis, massaging in the area of Obliquus capitis inferior muscle, post isometric relaxation. It seems to help somewhat, but not fully.

I have a recent neck MRI: https://www.dicomlibrary.com/meddream/?study=1.3.6.1.4.1.44316.6.102.1.20210804165813624.36372704986493662224

Can it be determined via MRI what causes the disrupted blood flow?
Should I attach the 9 year ago examination results (X-Ray)?
Should I attach MRI description?
If MRI is not enough to determine the reason, what other tests can pinpoint where exactly the blood flow through the right verteb

Is this something I should be concerned about?

I am a 31yo female. 5’4” 160lbs. I vape. Was in a major motorcycle accident a year ago. Saturday night I was joking around with a friend who choked me. I felt something pop and had some neck discomfort after. I decided to go to the ER where I was diagnosed with a vertebral artery dissection. I was told to take a baby aspirin qd and follow up with a vascular surgeon in a month. Also to monitor for s/s of a stroke. I can’t get ahold of the vascular surgeons office. I wasn’t given much of any info at the ER. Are there things I should/shouldn’t be doing? I’m a travel LPN in a LTC facility and I’m still going to work. My travel contract only allows 3 days sick time. I work nights and don’t have to worry much about any physical labor and I feel better at work with other nurses who can help me if anything does happen. I might’ve had a TIA on Sunday. There was a short period where I felt nauseous and fuzzy. It passed quickly and I didn’t notice any lasting effects. I’m just unsure if I need to be doing anything differently.

39 yo female. In December 2018, I went to a chiropractic appointment and an hour after being adjusted, I experienced a series of mini strokes. I was admitted to the neuro unit of the hospital after being diagnosed with a Vertebral artery dissection and TIAs. After 2 years, the dissection still hasn't healed. I struggle with a lot of neck, jaw, and ear pain and I'm wondering if it's possible that more damage was done than just the dissection. Is it normal to still have extreme pain with only a dissection diagnosis? Also, what are the odds that this injury will actually heal? Was on loveknox injections but due to an allergic reaction and not being able to afford the recommended Xarelto rx, I've been directed to take baby aspirin daily. Hope that provides enough information. Thank you in advance for your thoughts!

Hello everyone.

About a month and a half ago my girlfriend, F25 5’6” 120lbs, had a TIA brought on by a VAD in her left VA. Interestingly enough, another girl she went to high-school with ALSO had a TIA due to dissection in the same artery just over a week later. Both were prescribed daily aspirin until the VAD heals.

It’s been interesting and concerning to hear the differences and inconsistencies in what the doctors have told both of them. For instance, our neurologist told my gf that she may have Marfan syndrome (albeit she doesn’t have any Marfan characteristics) and referred her to a genetic counselor to be evaluated for it. Her primary doctor also said that VAD is “always” caused by a genetic connective tissue disorder if not by major trauma. Meanwhile, her friend who had a VAD was never told anything about it being genetic and was led to believe it was probably just a fluke accident, unlikely to happen again. Both my gf and her friend’s dissections could be considered “spontaneous.” We believe my gf’s was caused by a fairly light workout we were doing.

I have a hard time believing that these could be fluke injuries, so I tend to lean toward believing our doctors’ opinions over her friend’s doctor. However, I know for a fact that VAD has other causes beyond just that of genetic connective tissue disorders, like with Bow Hunters Syndrome for example. I am also confused as to why our neurologist would suspect Marfan over other disorders like vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome since I’ve read that that one is more commonly associated with dissection than Marfan.

I would like to hear opinions from more doctors on these issues, so here I am asking on Reddit. My gf has her genetics counseling appointment this Thursday (March 24th). I have a feeling the tests will come back inconclusive. If this happens, my questions are: what can we do to get more answers about my gf’s condition moving forward? Are there more tests we can do? Can we request she get a scan to look for signs Bowhunter’s Syndrome? My gf’s dissection seems to be pretty minor compared to most we’ve read about in support groups. Her’s only caused 50% occlusion of the artery and was on the smaller side being only between C2 and C3, whereas most others’ seem to be much worse. Would this have any significance on the likelihood of future incidences or of what the cause could have been?

My gf and I are obviously both extremely anxious about what having a VAD means, mostly because we haven’t real

35F Caucasian 125lbs 5’2” Ohio Current diagnosis: Asthma, UCTD-undifferentiated connective tissue disease and now VAD

Hello, I recently got a VAD diagnosis. My head hurt for 3 days. Worst headache I’ve ever had. I thought it was a bad headache and then I thought maybe Covid.

Went to urgent care. Nothing they gave me reduced the pain. Covid test was negative. They did a CT scan and confirmed vertebral artery dissection.

I was sent to the hospital at that point. Neurologist confirmed. He then told me I can go home since I didn’t have a stroke. Told me to take an aspirin a day. Also gave me gabapentin, to help hopefully reduce the pain.

So I’m home now, resting. Still hurting really bad. I know it’s a day later. I don’t expect miracles overnight.

I should also mention that there was nothing done physically to make the VAD occur. No accidents or chiropractor. Just random.

1. How long should I expect this pain to last? It’s almost debilitating.
2. Is it possible to still have a stroke?

Hello,

Not a long time ago I did an arterial duplex scan and found out that my right vertebral artery has a smaller diameter than the left one (2.4 mm vs 3.8). I read about it and it seems that it may cause poor blood flow to the posterior portion of the brain. I think it may be linked to my issues with thinking.

I'm 20 years old and have been living with brain fog my whole life. I'm very active, exercise 3 times a week + train martial arts 3 times a week. I'd say sports helps alleviate the symptoms, but only for a while.

I'm trying to live a healthy lifestyle. I usually get 8-9 hours of sleep every day and eat a relatively healthy diet. No sugar, no fast carbs.

I also tried to stick to the carnivore diet for a month. It actually made things a little bit better, but it might have something to do with gastrointestinal problems I have. Now I'm following a dairy-free and gluten-free diet. Well, I wouldn't say I can see any improvement.

First I noticed the symptoms when I was 11, I believe. I also had frequent headaches till the age of 14-16. I'm a tall individual and was growing up a little bit too fast.

Probably I never had absolute clarity of mind in my life. Every single day I experience clouding of consciousness and mental fatigue. It's really difficult to stay focused. I've been meditating for like 6 months now and it is still really difficult to focus on my breathing during meditation. Same thing with university lectures.

For whatever reason, after waking up in the morning, if I stay at home and don't go out for a walk or to the uni, I'll feel much worse. I'll need to spend more time out of the house to get out of my head and feel better. That's why I always start my day with a run if I don't have any class. Running outside, by the way, especially helps to improve brain functioning for a little bit.

I think it has to do with being present in the moment and not in my head all the time. I'm really struggling with this one. I need to learn to become more aware of the present.

After a run, I feel much better and can work on assignments. But then after a while, I start to feel sluggish, thinking becomes cloudy, it's more difficult to stay focused. I don't have memory problems, though, but sometimes I do feel absent-minded.

I never had a stroke, felt dizzy, or passed out in my life. So, my question is, can the artery thing be the cause? What can I do to increase blood flow and improve the situation? I'm down for anything. May it be yoga, taking pi

So I suffer from 3 bulging discs in my neck. Chiro care is the only way I get relief for a bit. Im 36 and my doctor says I'm not in the risk category. He never forces an adjustment, but im still worried. Does vertebral artery dissection only happen with aggressive or forced adjustments or is it with normal adjustments?

Pt with hx of MI has double vision, balance issue, and dizziness. L carotid bruit heard. Pulses decreased in LE.

Atherosclerotic involvement of which artery is most likely cause?

why wouldnt this be any of the carotid arteries?

29, Male, United States

I had to change a filter on my ceiling tonight, and I had to look up at it for about 3-5 minutes similar to this picture.

What are the chances I could get a vertebral artery dissection from this? The back of my neck is sore and I’m a bit concerned.

Thanks

I'm not asking for a diagnosis, obviously. Just feeling really scared about the possibility of vascular EDS. When I was in the hospital after the artery dissection they asked me some questions and said they felt like genetic testing wasn't necessary. I was 4 months postpartum with my fourth child when the tear happened... anyway, I've always wondered if it was linked to pregnancy and was looking it up today. I have a lot of the symptoms or signs of vascular EDS. I feel petrified with fear. Not only the life expectancy, but for my children's possibility of having it as well. Thank you for listening.

What exactly do chiropractors do that cause them?

I'm 23F. Sometime in 2018 (was 22 at the time) I was at work and started to experience stroke-like symptoms. Half of my body tingled, I couldn't see out of my right eye, I couldn't comprehend what others were saying to me, and my words were slurred and failed to form out loud. In the days prior I had severe neck pain that I attributed to my job. I left work and tried to lay down and the symptoms subsided but decided to go to the ER, where the symptoms flared back up. They eventually stopped being so extreme but for about six hours I was very off, and felt very flat, and it took great effort to give the nurses information about myself, as recalling my last name felt very difficult. They performed a CT scan and found no blood clots or anything wrong, decided I didn't have a stroke, and after I stayed the night I was fully functional the next day. The neurologist told me it seemed like a complex migraine, prescribed me diclofenac for my neck pain and magnesium supplements.

However, I recently gained access to my medical records via the hospital's patient portal, where I read the results of my CT scan. Apparently one of my vertebral arteries is hypoplastic, as well as the A1 portion of the opposite artery. I've come to understand that this means my arteries are not fully formed and don't deliver the amount of blood that they should. I've also read hypoplastic arteries are a great risk factor for strokes. My grandfather died at 38 from a stroke, and I feel like this event and this information is predicting something dire in my future. I suspect that it wasn't a fluke "complex migraine" that I experienced but something else that will eventually lead to something more severe.

I was on no medications but had been on a variety of SSRI's in the past, and had recently stopped taking birth control.

Could anyone give me information (either here or in a DM) that might help or direct me?

42F. Been seeing a neurologist for about a month for other issues going on. One MRI showed a “right vertebral artery dissection of unknown age”. Clearly it wasn’t dissected because I wasn’t having any symptoms of such but the doctor said we needed to look at it further so he ordered a CTA of the neck. The results went to the doctor and his nurse called to tell me it looks occluded but it’s not a big deal and there’s no need to worry. I don’t see him in the office again for a few weeks. When this was all originally brought up he seemed to pushed it aside like it’s not a big deal and like I am probably not having any symptoms from it. Can someone help me better understand what these CT findings mean? They are as follows:

Impression:

1. Diffusely small cervical and intracranial right vertebral artery with lack of contrast opacification of the V1 and proximal V2 segment of the right vertebral artery which may be the sequela of dissection of indeterminate age, although likely chronic. The proximal right vertebral artery could be completely occluded. A bony protuberance associated with the right C7 facet joint severely narrows the right vertebral foramen and compresses upon the right vertebral artery. It could be the cause of the right vertebral artery appearance.

It’s important to note that I’ve had intermittent back of head and neck pain for several months and I’ve also been having weird vision problems on a steady basis since January but on and off for several months as well. Oh and a very clear whooshing in my ear for at least a year.

Any help in understanding this or understanding likely symptoms would be appreciated.

BnB says ASA is more likely to be tested, but a vignette had vertebral artery as the correct answer. The Q stem asked which artery as "dissected".

Is lateral medullary syndrome due to dissection specifically associated with the vertebral artery?

I've come to understand a hypoplastic artery is one that is not fully formed and results in lower than average blood flow. What effects does hypoplasia in the vertebral arteries have on cognition and specific brain structures? How might a person with hypoplastic vertebral arteries differ from a person without them? Is there any treatment available for this?

If you see a patient and they have a positive vertebral artery test, what do you do other than avoiding cervical manipulations and end ROMs? Do you refer them to a neurologist, do you leave it at "well, don't do that", or do you take another path?