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confusing symptoms related to c1-c2 adjustment?

Hi all... i was having neck spasms and upper back pain last summer, and decided to go see a chiropractor. I have had fusions between c4-6 so didn't want any neck manipulation but had treatment for my back. On the last visit i mentioned again to him the spasm in my neck (there was actually a big knot in the muscle in the side of my neck) and he said that my 'atlas' was probably out of alignment and to adjust this wouldn't affect any of the other discs and involved no twisting or pulling, so i agreed to it. It was very quick and non painful, and actually the next day the spasm was gone.... however, i began noticing some strange things. I started to feel dizzy, well not dizzy but off balance i guess and i would have intermittent brain "claps" that weren't painful but made me feel like i was going to pass out. I had this odd feeling of doom, and i started to have random severe pains in my upper back, and chest that would wake me up from a sound sleep and i would have to roam the house, lying on the floor and on furniture trying to take it away.... and intermittent pains in my lung areas, one point below each breast at different times, and i kept taking really deep breaths although i wasn't short of breath per se.... i actually went to the E.R. two times because of this. My blood pressure and pulse were sky high, (I mean 187/126) and i've never, ever had blood pressure problems! After complete work ups for everything imaginable, no cause for these symptoms ever was found.... after about two months they just all went away. I am sure my doctor thinks it was all anxiety but i never took anything nor do i today take any medications, yet the symptoms have completely resolved... could this have been due to the c1-2 'adjustment' perhaps if instead of adjusting it, he threw it out of alignment? I can relate it to no other cause. I am just happy to be back to 'normal', but still very curious as to what could have caused these symptoms.  Any thoughts would be appreciated!! Thanks!
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the reply, and believe me I AM glad!!! I still wonder the cause, never intend to ever blame anyone, just me being curious and wanting to know..... I hadn't thought of anxiety as causing the pain and high blood pressure though. I actually went to the dentist a few days after my adjustment, and they took my blood pressure which was 176/124 and i wasn't anxious at all then (just a cleaning). That was the first time i ever had a blood pressure issue, but didn't relate it to the chiropractor, it wasn't until all the other symptoms got completely out of control and all the tests came back normal did i even think of it.... just curious........
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Avatar universal
Honestly it went away, I would just be thankful for that.  It could definitely be related to it but it no longer affects you at all, so be glad you don't have that problem.  You could discuss your concern with your neurosurgeon and I'm sure they would order a neck x-ray to make sure your C1:C2 is OK, just in case.  The problem is pain and dizziness which caused anxiety.  Some of the problems were definitely from anxiety (chest pain/high blood pressure), but pain and dizziness are not caused by anxiety.
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