bad crash, tingling/hot arms

[LFADAM]

I got destroyed on a sw toe 5 today (caught my back edge after a sketchy landing) and got slammed on my back. Immediately my arms were tingling and hot. I dont think I ever lost control of my arms but I just laid still to make sure I was OK. I feel like my head should have hurt really bad, but it didnt and still doesnt (mild headache off and on), but my neck is very sore. The tingling and heat went away in a minute or so and I feel pretty good now, but should I be concerned about that? I dont think I have a concussion but my friends were saying I could still have one even without a bad headache. Any thoughts?

[mgs917]

I would be more cautious of your neck. You can bruise your neck which can cause swelling around your spinal cord. This may be a reason for the tingling/heat. I would monitor the symptoms and take it easy for a few days, if they continue it may not hurt to have a doctor check it out.
disclaimer: I am not a doctor, I have been a lifeguard for 10 years and dealt with a few spinal injuries so I have some training, but that is my best advice to you.

[cowdoc13]

I am not a human physician either, but it sounds like what is sometimes referred to as a neck "stinger". Happens to football players from time to time when they make a tackle while leading with their head and their head gets forced down, which bends their neck severely enough to partially compress their spinal cord or the nerves where they leave between the bones of the spine. Generally there is not enough compression to cause paralysis, just enough to cause tingling in the arms and sometimes the legs. The nerves that supply your arms come off your spinal cord pretty close to the point where your neck meets your shoulders. In catching your heelside edge and getting slammed backward, it may have caused you to bend your neck down enough to compress your cord or the nerves going to your arms which would account for the tingling and increased warmed you felt. Again, I am not a human doctor and I could be wrong with my explanantion for what you felt. But, I would strongly encourage you to check with your personal physician before riding again as you may have injured the muscles and ligamants in your neck enough that a simialr blow before the injured tissue has healed could lead to a much more severe injury like paralysis. When it comes to your brain or spinal cord, one is always wise to consult with their personal physician when they suspect an injury. If you like to ride as much as I do, I can understand not wanting to consult your physician for fear they may tell you to stay off the water for a while. But it is better to take some time off, let things heal, and be able to walk and use your arms. You would not have experienced the sensations you did in your arms without causing some degree of trauma to your spinal cord or the nerves supplying your arms. There have been several wakeboarders that have sustained severe neck injuires from face plants and numb skulls. Why take a chance on riding again without first talking to your personal physician?

[LFADAM]

Well lucky for me we just had an orthopedic surgeon show up to the camp I work at and he checked me out and gave me a few quick tests. cowdoc13 is right, what I had was a stinger. He gave me some strength tests for the muscles around my neck and arms and told me I am good to ride. I probably wont be able to move my neck tomorrow from whiplash but I dont care as long as I can get back out there and shred.

[LaynDoor]

Also known as a "burner".... which really describes how it feels when you get one...

http://www.aafp.org/afp/991101ap/2035.html