Dollywood ride leads to cranioservical instability diagnosis

Noelle Foley, the daughter of wrestling icon Mick Foley, revealed in a recent interview that a roller coaster ride at Dollywood set off a years-long medical journey that culminated in a diagnosis of cranioservical instability after she tore about 10 ligaments in her neck. She described persistent headaches and sensitivity to light and sound that lasted five and a half years, a medical odyssey that involved roughly 50 doctors and therapists before the underlying cause was identified through a digital motion X-ray.

The incident occurred on a Dollywood ride described by Foley as abruptly changing direction. She said the ride “went up, down and immediately went back up,” forcing her body forward and then backward. “My head hit really hard and something happened with my neck,” she recalled, noting that she later experienced a headache she could not shake. It took about two months for the concussion to be recognized, and she described ongoing symptoms—fatigue, light and sound sensitivity—that persisted long after the ride.

Foley said the investigative process led to a rare diagnosis: cranioservical instability, a condition in which ligaments that support the skull and upper spine are...