hydrotherapy and fed up with feeling funny

[fibrogirl41]

hi I am sorry for the rant and moaning but I had a lovely session at my hydrotherapy yesterday but I got out of the warm water and I felt as if I weighed a ton, I felt heavy and a bit of a head rush I don't know why I am having blood tests done tomorrow and I am still getting a bit of dizziness but it is not as bad as it was. I hope I will be okay and all will be well with the blood test wish me luck hope you are ok out there and not in too much pain x ☺️ ❤️

[Blearyeyed]

How long was your session?My physio only allowed me 10 minutes with no proper exercises in my first session , and even before I was diagnosed with Dysautonomia, he took every session very slowly and I was never in the water for more than 20 minutes.

As he explained , the heat of the water is high and this in itself can bring on dizziness and Fatigue , especially as you get out of the pool which usually has steps that need climbing and can cause a sudden increase in your heart rate. Swings in heart rate from sudden exertion like steps will easily bring on sudden dizziness , potential fuzzy head pain, heavy limbs and instant Fatigue as your body tries to compensate for the needs of the brain or heart that has occurred by your change in activity.

My physio also understands that patients are better stopping any therapy while they still feel like they can do more , as continuing exercise , especially in a Hydro pool , until you feel like you have put in effort , will usually lead to post exercise Fatigue , and possibly Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness up to 48 hours after an exercise session.

No pain , No gain is a dangerous myth and counterproductive to improved physical strength even in the super healthy. I'm sure your physio is good but if any physio pushes you to do a bit more , or try movements that you genuinely know trigger your Pain , it is a warning that you need another therapist.

One tip for any exercise or physio session , especially water based activity , is to keep your water bottle with you at all times. This is particularly important if your condition includes P.O.T.S , Chronic Dysautonomia or mild Autonomic Dysfunction symptoms , which are quite common to some Fibro sufferers.

Drink a good amount of water before a session. Drink your water quite quickly between exercises or changing positions , especially between standing and then walking away , have a good drink before leaving the pool , using steps and before and after your post session shower. This counteracts the rapid onset dizziness and reduces Fatigue. Do this even if your Physio tells you it's not important... It is , and it is more likely that the therapist has had little training or experience of the needs of patients who can have autonomic symptoms in comparison to someone in injury recovery or with no neurological symptoms as part of their illness.

Heads up , most therapists , and many medical professionals have little to no knowledge of how to manage these illness symptoms. Its a big frustration to my physio!

After your session , choose a cubicle with a seat in it in case of dizziness as you change, and , take a little time to drink water and breath in a deep relaxing way before heading out to your car. Its better to get a lift to a hydro session if you can because of the possibility of rapid onset Fatigue and dizziness up to an hour after the session. If you are driving to taking public transport give yourself time to spend half an hour in the cafe or sitting before travelling.

Take a snack with you like a banana , nuts , oat biscuits to both increase your energy , but also counteract any increase in heart rate which may bring on dizziness or nausea. You may find you need to eat something quite salty before and after any exercise if you are a person whom is low in salts or struggles with the change in salt that can happen when the body suffers salt loss in water or exercise.

Internal dehydration is a big cause for post exercise Fatigue , Pain , Dizziness or fainting , it is hidden to us while in water , but obvious in land exercise in the form of sweat. Water and salt loss can be large in water , especially in hot water temperatures like those of a Hydro pool , this dehydration commonly leads to Fatigue , dizziness , fainting , confusion or numbness , hence the need to keep your water bottle pool side.

Last tip , do the post session shower , even for a few minutes , keeping the temperature warm but not as hot as the pool . It helps get your body acclimatized to the change in room temperature which can send your nervous system into overdrive. Make sure you dry your hair properly and wear a hat and dress warmly before going outside , especially in winter . You want to keep a balanced reduction in temperature rather than being hit by a sudden change which will bring on symptoms .

Hydrotherapy is a brilliant way to exercise and slowly build up balance , muscle strength and activity endurance with less post exercise Pain. It is definitely worth keeping it up while following these precautions. It had definitely reduced my Fatigue and Pain when I could get to sessions in the Hydro pool. Unfortunately, our pool still hasn't been reopened since COVID and my physio and I are stuck on land which has slowed down my improvement considerably , so if you have the chance to get to do it and can control these symptoms I'm sure it will be a great help to you.

[fibrogirl41 in reply to Blearyeyed]

hi thanks for your kind message x ❤️ where do you live if you live in the beds, herts and bucks area I recommend the paddock pool for hydrotherapy sessions x I have a good one who does excellent work with me in the hydrotherapy pool x it's private and I have had to pay but it is worth it x I am hoping to pay for more sessions if I can x I am having blood tests done today so I hope that these are all ok x ❤️

[Blearyeyed in reply to fibrogirl41]

Unfortunately, North Wales . There was an article in the local news this year pointing out it's easier to get Hydrotherapy for your dog than it is to get it for human patients whom need it here.My hospital pool was the only one available until Covid , there aren't even any private therapy pools up here , as I did consider hiring my physio to do private sessions with me . I plan to wait until January , and if they haven't sorted it out by then , I will badger them until they do!

Thanks for the suggestion though

[Gavin79 in reply to Blearyeyed]

what a lovely positive informative post thank you I learnt some important stuff I’ll defo take away xx.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Gavin79]

Thank you , that's kind of you , I hope it helps , take care , Bee

[WoodyMarleyArchie]

Hope you feel better soon xx

[fibrogirl41]

hi thanks ❤️ x