I have shared pieces of this before, but now that it has been a full month, I wanted to put the whole story in one place. Not dramatic, not exaggerated, just real. Because what started as a simple experiment ended up giving me something I hadn’t felt in a very long time: relief, function, and hope. Before anything else, I want to be clear. I do not sell tape. I do not work with any tape company. I run a nonprofit full time, I homeschool our four kids, and take care of about thirty animals (with the help of my family). My Amazon lists have earned me exactly $20.17. I only share what has helped me, in case it helps someone else too.
Where I Was Before KT Tape
This past year was one of the hardest of my life physically. While running a home, homeschooling, and trying to stay present for my kids, I was dealing with a long list of diagnoses: Cervical Instability – 5.1 mm overhang on the right, 8.5 mm on the left, reverse lordosis, multiple disc herniations, encephalopathy, a syrinx from C5 to T12, hypermobile EDS, half of my posterior atlas missing, and internal jugular compression when sitting or standing. The symptoms matched the severity: daily pressure headaches, debilitating migraines, severe neck pain, swelling across my upper back, dizziness, brain fog, nerve pain, and exhaustion. Because of hEDS, surgery isn’t an option. I was losing myself to pain. I could barely stand long enough to wash dishes. I felt like my world was shrinking. I feel it still some days.
How KT Tape Entered the Story
It wasn’t dramatic. My cousin casually said, “Have you tried KT tape?” and I ignored him. A few days later later, my eight-year-old reminded me, and that time I listened. My husband applied 3 simple strips across and down the base of my skull, exactly the method I show in my video. I expected nothing. But I was shocked at the relief.
The First Week
Day 1: No migraine. No skull pressure. No stabbing pain behind my eye. I felt normal for the first time in months. Day 2: Still no pressure. My neck felt calm and steady. Day 3: Swelling across my upper back dropped noticeably. Day 4: Relief continued. I learned baby oil and warm showers help when removing the tape. Day 5: For the first time in years, I could see the bones at the base of my neck again. What I thought was “back fat” was inflammation. Day 10: Ten days in, still no migraines or crushing pressure. My brain fog lifted. I felt present again.
A Month Later: What’s Real
Tape isn’t a cure. I still have cervical instability, hEDS, and a syrinx. But taping has become one of the most helpful daily tools I have. Over the past month, here is what has lasted: significantly fewer migraines, a massive reduction in pressure at the base of my skull, visible decrease in swelling, easier movement, less guarding, clearer thinking, and more functional days with my kids. When I tape, the pressure softens. When I remove it, my neck is fatigued, but no worse than before. It’s not magic. It’s simply support my body desperately needed. I still get pressure headaches and migraines, but I have gained more time between them.
Why KT Tape Helps
The science behind KT tape actually makes sense for cervical instability:
- Proprioceptive feedback: Gives your brain constant information about your neck position, reducing tiny unstable movements.
- Gentle external support: Helps fatigued muscles and ligaments do their job without restricting you.
- Improved lymphatic flow: Slightly lifts the skin to support drainage, lowering swelling and inflammation.
- Nervous system calming: Provides steady sensory input that helps your body relax out of fight-or-flight and guarding.
- Posture cues: Encourages healthier alignment without forcing anything extreme.
- Reduced muscle tension: Interrupts the cycle of tightness, spasms, and compensatory movements.
Watch the KT Tape Hack
Here is the YouTube video where I show exactly how I apply it. Be gentle if you try it. This is my neck.
👉 Watch the video.
If you subscribe to my channel, you’ll see real life – chickens, baby bunnies, kids running through the background, and pieces of my healing journey all mixed together. It’s not an influencer channel. It’s just me.
In the video I show:
- The exact tape length I use
- How I cut it
- How I apply it to my neck
Why I’m Sharing This
So many of us living with chronic pain simply want honest experiences and real conversations without pressure or fear. I’m sharing my prolotherapy journey, my syrinx updates, and all the small things that help me stay upright and keep chasing sunshine. If this simple tape method helps even one person breathe a little easier, then sharing it is worth it.
Choosing Hope Over Despair
Living with cervical instability means constantly learning, adjusting, and trying new things. Healing has not meant my pain disappeared. It has meant staying open to small tools, gentle supports, and new methods that help me live a little better each day. Some things flare my symptoms, some things do nothing, and every once in a while something actually helps. The only way to find those moments is through patience, experimentation, and giving yourself permission to keep trying. Hope does not always show up in big treatments. Sometimes it comes from simple shifts, quiet routines, and small tools that make the hard days a little lighter. Keep going. Keep trying. Keep listening to your body. Let hope win a little more often than despair.
If You Want Support
I created a small and gentle Facebook space called Living With Cervical Instability. It is not a medical advice group. For medical information about upper cervical instability, I always recommend Dr. Cameron Hatam’s group, Upper Cervical Instability Awareness Group.
My little community is something different. It is mostly women. It is quiet and encouraging. It is a place to connect, share honestly, support one another, and stay positive while navigating CCI, syringomyelia, hEDS, POTS, MCAS, chronic migraines, or upper spine instability.
Just real people cheering each other on.
A Kind Reminder
This little KT tape hack is not a cure and it is not a treatment. It is simply a small tool that gives me relief when the pressure gets heavy. If you decide to try it, be gentle. Listen to your body. Check with your doctor if you are unsure. And as always, I am grateful you are here.
Blue Skies and Endless Adventures
Heather Anne
If this story resonated with you, I’d love to stay connected.
You can find more updates, free printables, and everyday snapshots of our life (and our backyard farm crew) over on Pinterest, or explore all my favorite resources and links here: linktr.ee/sunflowerisle.