What’s Helping

Today I wanted to talk about some of the things that have really helped me in my struggle against my vestibular imbalance. Something I found really helped was eliminating as much stress as possible from my life. As cheesy as it sounds, inner balance is the key to a balanced vestibular system. What has really helped me to regain some semblance of a normal life is a combination of physiotherapy, cognitive therapy, chiropractic therapy and yoga therapy.

Physiotherapy

I did physio with an amazing woman that was honestly one of the only people who could really explain what was happening to me and why. She was the only person to really listen to me, and understand my symptoms. This way, she was able to come up with different exercises I could do, in order to strengthen my balance center. She also gave me exercises and tools to continue on my journey on my own from home.She was incredibly helpful and really the first person I dealt with that had a real grasp of the delicate nature of the vestibular system. I highly recommend getting in touch with a physiotherapist that has a background in vestibular therapy if you or anyone you know is experiencing any kind of balance issues. I know if these symptoms are treated soon enough in the proper way, that it can save you a lifetime of dealing with a vestibular imbalance.

Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy was extremely helpful in aiding me reduce the stress in my life. The number one thing that ties in with a vestibular imbalance is stress and anxiety. If you are experiencing dizziness or any number of the other symptoms associated with a vestibular imbalance, you are going to panic and become anxious because it is such an awful and unrelenting feeling. These two things feed into one another, and if you let them, things spin out of control, literally. A good cognitive therapist with even the smallest understanding of how the body works will recognize this and help you build a foundation and give you the tools and understanding to keep that feedback loop from forming. The key is to find someone with which you can build a strong and trusting relationship, because everything to do with cognitive therapy is very personal and even scary.

Chiropractic Therapy

I only discovered this towards the end of my first year dealing with my vestibular imbalance. IT WORKS WONDERS. I go to a NUCCA practice which is an Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care Clinic. They do not believe in the forceful adjustments or ‘cracking’ that other chiropractic clinics use. This practice is based on the manipulation of only the CI disk, located just at the base of the skull where it sits on the neck. Many people who suffer from a vestibular imbalance tend to hold their heads and necks incredibly tight, in the hopes of avoiding any kind of dizzy spells or associated symptoms. Most of us do not even consciously think about it when we are doing it, it is simply our bodies natural reactions to being off balance. The result of this is an incredibly sore and stiff neck, shoulders and back. A NUCCA practice is gentle and invigorating and I would highly recommend it to anyone, not just someone suffering from vestibular problems.

Yoga Therapy

This is not for everyone, I know, but now that I have finally found a skilled and relaxed practice, I feel that it is really helping me to build back up my balance center. I do both Gentle and Restorative yoga, taking classes from therapy certified professionals who want to know up front what you bring onto the mat and how they can help you. They are open to all kinds of props and modifications and are all about taking your time. Not only is a yoga practice good for balance, but it is a healthy way to stretch out all your muscles that, as I said earlier, can become incredibly stiff and sore from the way that people with vestibular imbalances hold their heads.