Balance problems

[scarlet35]

Please if anyone can help me this has been going on for 10 years .

I suffer every day of my life, I am 42 now but it happened at age 32

I was a fit healthy woman ,went the gym 5 times a week untill 1 day I was in work (hairdresser) and my arm felt weak , I started to have the worst hot sweat ever ,then felt like collapsing , unsteady on feet .then chills for 10 minutes .

Lasted 30 mins all in all

Since then I feel like I am walking on marsh gallows and walk to the left

I have to use a tens machine to actually stand up and get to work .

Come tea time I am completely normal again.

I am so sick of this life

My pain specialist just injects my neck but they don't work so I stopped having them a year ago

They say I have neck disc drop a little but not enough to cause symptomsthey say I could have vertigo or bppv they have said it all but do little

I have had enough

[spider555]

Hi what sort of tests have you had?

[scarlet35 in reply to spider555]

Hi I have had mri on neck again,everytime I mention the balance problems they seem to ignore how bad it is effecting me and just inject my neck with steroid epidural .

They say I could have degenerative disc disease which irritate the nerves in arm and put neck in spasm, I can handle all that if I could sort this balance whilst standing and walking .

I have interactive thyroid and also on folic acid for iron

They say to do exercises to try help balance but they don't work

[vizzio in reply to scarlet35]

Hi Scarlet35, just wondered because you have thyroid problems and take folic acid if you have been tested for Coeliac Disease. As this can cause balance problems because of gluten ataxia. Did they do a brain scan when they did your mri or just your neck? Maybe need to ask for more investigations. Hope you soon get sorted.

[scarlet35 in reply to vizzio]

Hi yes I also have coeliacs !!!!, I can manage all these

It's just the balance I can't cope with sometimes I feel like keeping all day as my back feels so tired .

I had a 6ft scan years ago which was fine.

[sandylo]

I would get 2nd opinion I too was a hairdresser retired now but occasionally I just feel like I'm going to fall over but have not so far but I have slightly curved spine doc said she to standing for years leaning forward

[Rose-Rose-Rose-]

I have vertigo and when I first started with it I was extremely dizzy dizzy and I felt like I was walking and marshmallows. To cut a long story sure shot after test test et cetera privately in the end I was given some some vestibular exercises to do to retrain my system system system. I do these exercises each day morning and night and they keep it under control. They take about three minutes. If you want to give them a try let me know.

[johnsmith]

See an Alexander Teacher. This may have a posture problem involved. An Alexander teacher may be able to help reduce some of the problems.

Hope this helps.

[scarlet35 in reply to johnsmith]

I will look into this

Thankyou so much for advice

[Gram214]

Hi Scarlet ! This is really something that I am reading about your problem. Last year my older brother ( 75 ) all of a sudden started having the same issue .

It's very strange ... he can work in his garden for hours but certain things like a dark floor..or raising his arms..will all of a sudden trigger it. He went through many tests and not one actually found the cause. It did show slight brain shrinkage but at his age it isn't something extraordinary.

He also went to a vestibular therapist and although it helped ..as soon as his insurance prescribed sessions were over it came back with a vengeance. He now is about to embark on an effort to be seen at Johns Hopkins vertigo facility in Baltimore. He has been warned it will take quiet awhile to get in however.

He and his life partner are ..or I should say were world travelers after both retiring and finally being able to enjoy life. So this has been positively devastating to the both of them !

I hope you can find help and if I learn anything I will pass it along. God Bless you !

[scarlet35 in reply to Gram214]

I hope your brother gets to the bottom of what's causing his balance issues, would you keep me posted and I will keep you posted if I get any answers

[Gram214 in reply to scarlet35]

Yes Scarlet..I will let you know if and when he finds anything out. Good luck to you !

[scarlet35 in reply to Gram214]

Thankyou

[johnsmith in reply to Gram214]

The eyes and ear balance canal are involved in balance. Muscular habits can cause the head to become out of alignment. When this happens the eye balance control has to re-adjust. Advanced age makes the re-adjustment very difficult. I suspect the eye input balance control is the cause of your elder brother's difficulty.

It is worth going to an Alexander teacher to have a postural check. If the head has lost its correct alignment an Alexander Technique teacher can help correct this problem. They will also help with any stiff joint problems which your elder brother may have because of his age.

Hope I have been helpful.

[Gram214 in reply to johnsmith]

I have looked into the Alexander program however there is nothing anywhere close to us. I don't suppose it could be self taught somehow ?

My brother is extremely fit for his age ..more so than his younger by 10 years sister ! I've alway joked that our birth dates must have been switched ! Thats why this is so hard for him to accept.

His hearing is bad ..but he has wonderful hearing aids.

The specialists have taken all the things you mentioned into consideration and are trying to help him .

We're hoping John's Hopkins can possibly help. ?

Thank you so much for your reply .

[GRnads in reply to Gram214]

Incase you're in the UK, this website showed a lot of private sessions in my area that didn't show on a normal Google search.

alexandertechnique.co.uk/se...

[Gram214 in reply to GRnads]

Nope....not in the UK. ...Good ol' USA

[johnsmith in reply to Gram214]

The originator of the technique FM Alexander self taught himself. It took him several years to get a handle on it. It might be worth just going for one lesson and then trying to self teach yourself with the help of youtube videos. The youtube videos are not much help without a lesson.

alexandertechnique.co.uk/se...

Does have some teachers in the USA.