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Vestibular Exercises...

Discussion in 'Your Living Room' started by Denise Rene, Feb 12, 2020.

  1. Denise Rene

    Denise Rene New Member

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    My husband has a co-worker who has Meniere's and has had great success with Vestibular Exercises. I just started them tonight. Has anyone had any success with VE?
     
  2. Clare

    Clare Active Member

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    Vestibular therapy has been a huge help to me, both before and especially after my laby. As Meniere's progresses it slowly destroys the vestibular function, and the brain has to learn how to accommodate for that. I found a wonderful physical therapist with expertise in vestibular rehabilitation through the vestibular.org (VEDA) website. Previously I had seen a physical therapist who had never dealt with Meniere's before. He was a good guy who sincerely tried to help me, but just didn't understand what we go through with vestibular dysfunction. After I switched to the VEDA-recommended therapist and got advise and exercises specifically targeted to my needs, I really improved in function and confidence.

    Before my laby, increasingly frequent vertigo episodes would leave me off-balance for extended periods of time. I'd been through a bad spell and was unstable when an opportunity arose to travel in Mexico with my daughter -- perhaps our last one-to-one trip before she settled into adulthood with a partner -- which I could not have done without the therapist's help. In addition to the basic exercises, the therapist got me ready for the upcoming trip by advising walking in open spaces with movement around (looking left, center and right while walking around town), tips for navigating airport hallways with busy carpet patterns (arrange for a wheelchair where it's a problem -- MSP) and exercises for being able to put my carry-on in the overhead bin (that's a lot of movement for someone impaired). She helped describe what kind of hotel spaces would be better or worse for me if I had a flare up, and she gave me websites with videos of waves on beaches to get used to the motion without getting nauseous.

    My daughter and I had a great trip and stored some wonderful memories. Not speaking the language, I wasn't able to control the sodium in my diet during the trip, and sure enough, the vertigo caught up with me about day 5 of our week. Based on the therapist's advice, I had planned for the trip to start with the more active cultural explorations and end at the beach in a room where I could walk outside and sit in a chair on the sand, enjoying the day even though I couldn't be active. The timing was perfect. My daughter went diving and swimming while I rested, and both of us made the most of our vacation.

    I started therapy again about 3 weeks after my laby, with exercises targeted to retraining my brain to balance based on vision in place of the missing vestibular function. It unquestionably helped to quicken my recovery. I am a big fan of vestibular therapy.
     
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  3. Autumninthefall

    Autumninthefall Active Member

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    I just started back up again. Like Clare mentions, it makes all of the difference in the world working with someone who understands our issues and how we have to compensate.
     
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  4. Mac

    Mac Active Member

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    Clare and Autumn,

    I know you both had Labbys...so 3 quick questions.


    Do you still have issues in hotels with wild carpets?

    Walking though the mall?

    How would you do walking through NYC times square at night?


    Thanks for your help!!


    Mac
     
  5. Autumninthefall

    Autumninthefall Active Member

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  6. Clare

    Clare Active Member

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    Hey, Mac -- No more problems with wild carpets (which were previously bad enough that I required a wheelchair at the airport), and malls are unpleasant only because of the general noisy environment -- no hyperacusis or other effect different from anyone else in my peer group. I used to have hyperacusis, so losing that was a nice bonus of the laby. Also, pre-laby I could get nauseous in stimulating environments such as grocery stores, public places with moving people, being around ocean waves, or watching videos -- the pop-up ads are horrible.

    In Times Square at night, these days I would want a walking stick or reliable arm to escort me. Because my brain now relies on vision to accommodate for the missing vestibular input, low-light environments can be more thrilling than I want. Having tactile input from touch gives my brain more to process and is less fatiguing. I don't go out at night without a walking stick or supportive friend. In the dark it feels sort of like I'm under water and can't figure out where is up, or that I've been turned into a bobble-head doll.

    Going into a bar or restaurant with friends isn't optimal these days, though. With complete deafness on one side (SSD), it isn't possible to locate sounds, which surprisingly is an important skill in following conversation. I had "no usable hearing" in my left ear prior to laby but could still recognize when there was a sound made and could identify its general location. I was amazed at how big a difference there was post-laby without the ability to locate sound, and how this affected my social life -- I'm much more particular about quiet restaurants now and avoid places where multiple people are talking at once. Maybe the gentamicin folks haven't had this problem?

    All said, I would never want to go back to pre-laby life. Yuck.
     
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  7. Mac

    Mac Active Member

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    thank you both for your responses...very helpful.

    it really is amazing how differently the brain recovers for each person... if you gave 10 different people gentamicin or labbys… you would get 10 different recoveries. the brain/vestibular/vision combo is so unique to each person.

    Hope you both have a great weekend!
     
  8. Gardengal

    Gardengal Member

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    Mac, how do your answers compare to these answers? Just curious.
     
  9. Mac

    Mac Active Member

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    Gardengal… I am almost 3 months out from the gentamicin so I have not tried any of these situations yet.

    They were all very bad pre shot. Carpets were awful. NYC streets were tough.

    I am guessing that I would see improvements. Not perfect...I dont think it ever would be (even w Labby) but I am very happy with the gentamicin shot so far.

    Feel free to write me a side note and I would send you my phone number if you are seriously considering a shot.

    Happy to help!!

    Mac.
     
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  10. three4rd

    three4rd Member

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    I'm interested in hearing more about this. Please keep us posted. What type of exercises? I'm considering pursuing some sort of vestibular / balance therapy - which is offered right near me.
     
  11. three4rd

    three4rd Member

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    This all sounds most interesting. I'd be interested to hear about specific exercises that are dealt with in therapy. I believe I should definitely pursue this.
     
  12. Autumninthefall

    Autumninthefall Active Member

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    You can find videos online of exercises. I think it's House Clinic(?) that has posted some on YouTube.
     
  13. AnneT

    AnneT Well-Known Member

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    Check out the thread Vestibular Rehab. Around July 2019 and after I posted details of the vestibular Physiotherapy exercises I was given for my Menieres and gentamicin balance issues.

    I still feel funky with restaurants, crazy carpets, grocery store aisles, computer screens, fluorescent lights, etc. I have oscillopsia for walking and chewing crunchy things. But no full on vertigo attacks since my gentamicin!

    My gentamicin experience is detailed in the a thread How Do You Know if the Gentamicin worked.
     

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