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coping with chronic dizziness/imbalance

Started by fibrodude84, July 19, 2014, 06:53:33 PM

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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

fibrodude84

AnY suggestions or meds for coping with dizziness and balance issues. ENT says im fine so im thinking it's fibro and it's very disturbing and hard to get out feeling this way.

looneylane

Make sure you are well hydrated and take notes what seems to make it worse so as to help us figure out what may be causing it? Or give those notes to your dr they may be a little better at dx    :insane:

foxgrove

Well.. there are very few things that can actually undo what fibro does (miracles and such...) but there are certainly ways to limit the effects... 

There are a number of trigger points in your neck and shoulders that can cause you to have dizziness, especially the trigger points in the clavicular branch of the sternocleidomastoid and the primary trigger point on the trapezoid.  Trigger points in those muscles tend to cause an imbalance from one side to the other and have been shown to directly affect both balance and spacial orientation.

If you've got a copy of Clair Davies' The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, you'll find the sternoclomastoid information on page 50 and the trapezoid info on page 52.  If you don't have access to this resource... I highly recommend you get a copy as it's pulled my tuchas out of the fire more times than any other book... then let's try these resources:

http://lifeafterpain.com/info/muscles/trigger-points -> great resource on the basics of trigger points

http://triggerpoints.net/triggerpoints/sternocleidomastoid.htm -> specifically concentrate on the clavicular branch..

http://triggerpoints.net/triggerpoints/trapezius.htm -> This is for the trapezius TrP1, the primary trapezius trigger point.

As well as trigger points, some of your meds may play havoc with your balance until your body adjusts to them.  The side effect of some meds is actually dizziness.  Check your meds to see if there are any potantially bad combinations that would explain this.  Here's a decent site for that: http://www.dal.ca/diff/druginfo.html

As looney mentioned, something as simple as too little water can easily cause dizziness.  I find that it gets even worse when you add in sweating which happens quite frequently with high pain.  I figure this year we'll just plum my bedroom for a filtered water tap and be done with it.  :biggrin:

So.. let us know if anything helps.  :budy:
Where God leads, His hand always provides
...so keep Calm and code on....

Foxgrove

fibrodude84

Excellent thank you it's the first time I hear this and not someone telling me to check for vertigo again. Do you know if acupressure or acupuncture on these tender points can help with the imbalance they cause?

ronr

The only way to really know is to try it.  It may or may not help your particular imbalance issue because we don't really know what is causing it.  Make notes of how long it does help when you try so that you will have a history that you can refer to.
Times are tough when "Happy Hour" is your nap.
My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely!

foxgrove

#5
Yeah.. really it's a matter of trying and seeing what works.  I haven't tried accupressure or accupuncture professionally.. I'm starting to learn accupressure and so far it's pretty good.  

For dealing with the trigger points though, I generally use jonathan kuttner's basic technique to release them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBA3wfbil7Y

You can use the myofascial release technique to make even more of an impact on them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsNEI4s5AFA&safe=active

I fine it especially effective and it's painless which is a huge difference from most myofascial techniques and a real bonus for us.

As Ron said, there are no guarantees working your trigger points as this may or may not be the cause of your dizziness.  It could be something as simple as a blocked eustachian tube... getting the doctor's input on this would be a very good idea.
Where God leads, His hand always provides
...so keep Calm and code on....

Foxgrove

fibrodude84

You guys are fantastic because I never once associated this with possible trigger points. I read slouching forward makes it worse. I started rolling my shoulders back and trying to walk straight and I do feel a tad less dizzy so maybe there is something with my neck or back.

foxgrove

If you're looking into posture as a fix, might I suggest you take a peek at the Alexander Technique.  This is a very simple technique that once taught to you (or you figure it out yourself) really helps with neck issues and lower back issues.. and breathing interestingly enough.

I've got a bunch of good books on it but what really helped was this really good video that kinda gives you an actual peek into the technique in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgplXmILzoQ 

Just from watching this, I started to experiment and have been able to find the balance spot.. it's elusive to find but once you've got it, wow, what a cool feeling.  I am continuing to meld this concept with some of the elasticity theories from my Tai Chi classes and have found that it really helps enable standing for longer periods of time without tiring.

In any case, no guarantees, just try and see what works for you.  That's really what effective therapy is all about.  :budy:
Where God leads, His hand always provides
...so keep Calm and code on....

Foxgrove

Barberian

If your mostly sedentary the mechanism by which your ears tell you which way is up can become lazy just like your muscles. I was in the navy for 20 yrs. Every time I went to the ship if I had been on land for many  months I would get sea sick for the first few days. After that my ears etc got used to the constant motion. It was not uncommon to have a dizzy sensation with the sea sickness.

I've been having balance issues as well the last few months. I've become unsteady on my feet on my late night walks before bedtime. Some of it is from being mostly sedentary and some of it is from diabetic neuropathy from my knees down. I've recently started tipping or rolling my head around both in my chair and on my walks to "strengthen" my balance.


mloved

My nephew gets that way from Meniere's.  The meds haven't stopped it's progression, so he's headed for an operation.

My sis, from those calcium crystals in the ear that gets displaced.  She does the Epley maneuver to fix it.

I get that way when exhausted and don't know it, or it might be the sudden drop in blood pressure that I'm prone to.  I have to lay propped up, be real still and eat on a ginger root candy and a salt candy.  It takes an hour or two to pass.

The three of us experience it the same but have to treat it differently.  So dizzy, the ground spins, can't walk or crawl without tipping/nauseous.

In my youth, way before fibro, experienced it from drinking or drugs.  Not fun, so I ended those escapades lol.
Not my will, but Thy will be done

Imagine - John Lennon

Groundhog Day - the movie

Where the mind goes, the body will follow

foxgrove

Sad to hear that mloved.  My two nieces suffer from Meniere's as well.  Both have had to undergo several operations, the youngest is only 5 or 6 and she's already undergone several operations.  It's on my wife's wide of the family but none of us had any experience with it until one of my other nieces was diagnosed about 15 years ago.

Mae.. I love your suggestions.  I know that procedure well since it was taught to me by our very own countryboy about a year ago.  It's gotten me out of several vertigo sessions... it's now embedded into my personal "how to fix me" kit along with my patented how to stop hiccup method.  Thank you for mentioning it again.

Here's the Epley manouver for reference:

http://menwithfibro.com/community/index.php?topic=5577.0
Where God leads, His hand always provides
...so keep Calm and code on....

Foxgrove

mloved

#11
Quote from: mloved on July 21, 2014, 05:45:11 PM
I get that way when exhausted and don't know it, or it might be the sudden drop in blood pressure that I'm prone to.  I have to lay propped up, be real still and eat on a ginger root candy and a salt candy.  It takes an hour or two to pass.

G whiz - that should have been a half hr to one hr to pass.

I got the time allotment mixed up with another condition that gets triggered when I try to do the illusive little bit more, often at that.  That painful, aching ribs, burning chest and abdomen, strength leaving my arms and legs fast.  That's the one that takes 1 to 2 hr to pass, also being still on my zero gravity.


Paul, it's such a challenge for adults, but for children, wow that really sucks  : :( :  Dealing with Menerie's must be shaping them to be even more remarkable individuals, their parents too.  That brings up that timeless quote "I cried because I had no shoes . . . . . ."
Not my will, but Thy will be done

Imagine - John Lennon

Groundhog Day - the movie

Where the mind goes, the body will follow

foxgrove

It certainly does.  It makes me value even my diminished ability to hear a whole lot more.  I heard a statement that seems to fit me to a tee.. "I donated most of my hearing to my 20s".  :lmao:  So sad but so darned true!!
Where God leads, His hand always provides
...so keep Calm and code on....

Foxgrove

fibrodude84

Quote from: foxgrove on July 20, 2014, 12:28:47 AM
Well.. there are very few things that can actually undo what fibro does (miracles and such...) but there are certainly ways to limit the effects... 

There are a number of trigger points in your neck and shoulders that can cause you to have dizziness, especially the trigger points in the clavicular branch of the sternocleidomastoid and the primary trigger point on the trapezoid.  Trigger points in those muscles tend to cause an imbalance from one side to the other and have been shown to directly affect both balance and spacial orientation.

If you've got a copy of Clair Davies' The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, you'll find the sternoclomastoid information on page 50 and the trapezoid info on page 52.  If you don't have access to this resource... I highly recommend you get a copy as it's pulled my tuchas out of the fire more times than any other book... then let's try these resources:

http://lifeafterpain.com/info/muscles/trigger-points -> great resource on the basics of trigger points

http://triggerpoints.net/triggerpoints/sternocleidomastoid.htm -> specifically concentrate on the clavicular branch..

http://triggerpoints.net/triggerpoints/trapezius.htm -> This is for the trapezius TrP1, the primary trapezius trigger point.

As well as trigger points, some of your meds may play havoc with your balance until your body adjusts to them.  The side effect of some meds is actually dizziness.  Check your meds to see if there are any potantially bad combinations that would explain this.  Here's a decent site for that: http://www.dal.ca/diff/druginfo.html

As looney mentioned, something as simple as too little water can easily cause dizziness.  I find that it gets even worse when you add in sweating which happens quite frequently with high pain.  I figure this year we'll just plum my bedroom for a filtered water tap and be done with it.  :biggrin:

So.. let us know if anything helps.  :budy:

Just purchased the book thanks to your suggestion. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks.

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