Exercises for CCI and AAI | Craniocervical Instability | Bonnie Southgate hEDS Rehab

[@redbrick9634]

I'd like to see the exercises in action

[@cloedster]

Wow! Some of the best information on this topic I have come across so far! Thank you so much!!

[@hEDSRehab]

I am so pleased you have found it useful. I actually have another exercise I am adding in and will definitely be doing another video in the next few monthes.

[@cloedster]

@@hEDSRehab That would be amazing! I am dealing with severe CCI and ME/CFS and have been experimenting with what I learned from your video in the last 24 hours and I can feel that finally I have found something that targets those spots where my neck needs support and training! This looks like a path where before there was none! I will be forever grateful :) Very much looking forward to your next videos on this topic!! Thank you very much.

[@brieonic]

This is so excellent, thanks for sharing. I'll be sharing it with my physio and chiro.

[@tomtomson648]

Hello, thanks for sharing this information publicly. I think I might suffer from CCI or AAI, since I am suffering from headaches, upper neck pain and dizziness for many years now. I have been to tons of specialists, but no one could find anything wrong. Most doctors have never heard of this condition. Some surgeons do kinda know it but only in the severe cases like after an accident when theres a clear misalignment visible on normal X-Ray. I am really desperate right now since I am pretty much bed bound due to the severity of my condition. Being upright for a prolonged period of time aggravates my symptoms, so all I can really do is lying down. I will give theses exercises a try, maybe it will help with my symptoms. I am also thinking about traveling to America because of this condition since it seems almost impossible to find a specialist in Europe.

[@b3rkolas235]

How are you now?

[@HeatherBelling]

You know what's sad? Even when there was a bad accident and the imaging does reflect severe malalignment- doctors STILL DO NOTHING! I've wasted so much money and time and precious (severely limited) energy trying to get help and I've only gotten worse physically for trying.. I'm severe like you, bedbound and at the point now of vomiting and other extremely disabling and scary symptoms happening after any attempts at going vertical 😢

[@tl9859]

Have you tried Triptan drugs for the pain? It totally makes sense how you're feeling, it feels hopeless sometimes. I also read that wearing either a soft cervical collar to bed or a more rigid if necessary, and wear for car rides etc.

[@chesterriley6513]

I'm in the same boat..my symptoms are pressure in my sinuses, ringing in ears depending on which way I turn my head, what feels like a tension headache most days, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate sometimes when symptoms get severe, and of course the visual disturbances like greying vision or seeing flashes. Buzzing and pain down my arms as well...also found out recently I have moderate scoliosis in my thoracic spine and it's causing pain across the chest wall. All my exams and tests are normal according to my doctors, sent back and forth from neurologist to pain management and back.. all in all my research on these specific combination os symptoms has lead me to the only REAL way to correct the underlying cause is PROLOTHERAPY. Series of injections of nano dextrose to trigger the bodies natural healing/inflammatory response to heal the soft tissues that connect the vertebrae. In addition most people I've found with this same aliment also needs curve correction therapy as well as the prolotherapy. I am currently trying to get an appointment for my first session for prolotherapy. I hope and pray that anyone with this condition finds the help and healing they so drastically need! Very much love and light 🙏

[@HeatherBelling]

Excellent info, thank you! Curious: have you seen many ppl with CCI or AAI who ALSO have si joint instability? That form and force closure bit is exactly what I have learned about my si joints and why my pelvis is unstable. in my case, I believe my problems started with the dysfunctional si joints then progressed to develop atlantoaxial instability in addition to developing "functional scoliosis" and just extremely unstable spine bc it feels like my spine started turning and rotating to try to compensate for my completely unstable and torsioned sacrum and si joints. in fact even my imaging reflects my hypothesis that my pelvis instability predated my atlantoaxial instability. Tho it didn't take long to become severe in my case. I can't bear being upright without suffering a lot of pain and all the dysautonomia symptoms, then soon come all the awful symptoms from the compression of my cranial nerves and brain stem. I've been living a life literally mostly always supine for 3 years now.. still desperately seeking proper treatment. ~ in Michigan

[@linneakarlsson4452]

This is gold!

[@hEDSRehab]

Thank you so much, glad it is useful.

[@anjelapatnaik]

Is there a video just with the exercises it's hard to

[@esmieadele8865]

I have CCI, this is so helpful thank you! i live in devon, uk, do you offer zoom sessions?

[@hEDSRehab]

Hi I do offer zoom sessions. If you wanted to try and book a session my email address is [e-mail]

[@breezelights]

Good informations

[@nataliakondasova552]

Hello, thank you for this video. Would you be si kind to do some month video excercise guide for excercise with CCI and AAI, please? It will be perfect to try excercise with you, if we can see it on video. Like some month CCI, AAI challange. Thank you so much.

[@hEDSRehab]

Hi, Thank you for your suggestion. This is a great idea only I am studying for an MSc, writing a book on the management of hypermobility and running a clinic at the moment which does leave me with a lot of time. I will however definitely consider it once I have ticked one of those boxes off. It is a really great idea.

[@maesmith224]

​@@hEDSRehabA follow along video with the CCI exercises would be sooo appreciated if you ever have the time to do it! Thank you for sharing your knowledge on CCI and hypermobility 🙏

[@ndrasmith]

What kind of bands do you use? Clinny?

[@hEDSRehab]

Hi, Yes I use Thera or canny bands. I start light and move up to stronger as I feel stronger. x

[@mountainmolerat]

Thanks for the great video. I googled about shearing the cervical spine and couldn't find anything. If someone did gentle neck tucks and their neck locked might that be a symptom of shearing the cervical spine?

[@hEDSRehab]

Hi, there are many reasons that your cervical spine could lock and without a proper hands-on assessment, I could not say definitively. It is very possible if you do have CCI and you had shearing of the joints when doing your chin tuck that the muscles could have gone into spasm protectively. If you are concerned I would recommend you try and see a specialist in this area. I know this is easier said than done and if I can be of any further help please let me know.

[@staceypollack808]

I apparently had injury to the tectorial membrane which was said by a very known chiro (dr Scott rosa) that there is scarring there. What do you do in that case? Strengthen the sub occipitals to compensate ? The problem is can you strengthen them when they are always tight ? I’m in Canada 5 years been like this. No one can help me thanks

[@MI-qj6xr]

Hi, are these exercises only for hypermobiles? Or can someone who may not be diagnosed with CCI or AAI but could have some kind of instability in the cervical spine also implement these techniques?

[@hEDSRehab]

Hi, Thank you for your question. You can of course use these if you are not hypermobile. It should be a great starting point for anyone with CCI or AAI. If you have CCI or AAI from an acute injury it is likely you could progress to some isometric exercises which would be safe for you to do as well. Some isometric exercises will be unsuitable for those with instability caused by a connective tissue or autoimmune issue, as all of the vertebrae are likely to be unstable rather than a select few.

[@HeatherBelling]

You know what's sad? Even when there was a bad accident and the imaging does reflect severe malalignment- doctors STILL DO NOTHING! I've wasted so much money and time and precious (severely limited) energy trying to get help and I've only gotten worse physically for trying.. I'm severe like you, bedbound and at the point now of vomiting and other extremely disabling and scary symptoms happening after any attempts at going vertical 😢

[@apucterio]

Putting weights over your head like thera bands / weights, kind of make sense as an exercise for strenght and stabilization, but at the same time I ask myself why we all just not heal by living our normal lives and resisting gravity 24/7, when often it's the case that we actually get worse from just living. Thoughts? Thanks!

[@hEDSRehab]

HI, Thank you for your question. The Thera band starts with the lightest band and is really more proprioceptive to begin with. The feedback I have had from my clients is that it helps them to understand how to lift up out away from gravity. it is also to help stabilise at the same time so a bit a downward pressure with upward pressure creates a closed chain and a bit of proprioceptive stability. The lift needs to come all the way down from the low back in sitting and if in supine the focus is just on the lifting of the head up off the body to help with blood flow and decompression of the brain stem.

[@DannyRows]

What about Iron Neck device training? I’ve seen it a lot recently, it started for training boxers to avoid concussions maybe jt could also help?

[@hEDSRehab]

Hi Thank you for your question. That device would be similar to the isometric exercises that I said may cause shearing of the cervical spine, so maybe for someone who has has a RTA but is not hypermobile, but not for people who may have multiple levels of instability or very poor proprioception.

[@mooninaries4397]

I suspect i have cci and when i try to do cervical exersices for instability i stretch my neck and the pain is intence. From the scull down to the shoulderblades. Is this because my instability? I do not use any brace, do you suggest i get one? I have ME/cfs and POTS and are 70% bedridden and my energy are very limited. Almost all exercises make me ME symtom worse. Have you patients with ME?

[@hEDSRehab]

Hi this could be because your muscles are in spasm which would make stretching them very painful. A couple of other reasons could be that you are not integrating the rest of the spine so you need to think of the length coming right down from the base of your spine so you sit upright from the lumbar spine. I can do a video on this, and the last reason may be potentially that you have tethered cord which may be pulling down on the spinal cord not allowing it to move normally. Hope this helps!

[@mooninaries4397]

@@hEDSRehab Thank you so much! Would love a video!

[@ruparkyitin]

instead of putting some weight on the head---@- how about doing upside down position. ?? that might help in increase blood supply to brain and neck muscles stronger!

[@hEDSRehab]

Hello, Thank you so much for engaging with my channel. I can tell you are a thinker. When starting the protocol with weight it is extremely light. The body weight of a person would be huge aside from actually trying to get into the position it would be way too much weight. The other reason is the aim of this is to improve overall daily posture, to encourage proprioception, and to axial lengthen the cervical spine. The occipital muscles and something called the tectorial membrane feed into the dura of the spinal cord and brain and are believed to help actually stabilise the spinal cord. This will happen only by learning how to hold the head off of C1, so it is a functional exercise. I hope this helps you understand a bit better. Good thoughts though.

[@Ladeekap]

@@hEDSRehabI’ve tried to use an inversion table . The pressure it puts on the head is horrible . I get a migraine almost instantly if I use one.