VRT Is it worth it?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Started my VRT exercises yesterday and today i have felt terrible !!

is this expected or is it a coincidence?

I can see why people give up doing them if it makes you feel this bad!

2 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • Posted

    Yes they have always made me worse.. In fact I quitthem when I became so much worse a couple months ago and it took me 7 weeks to get back to my "normal" dizziness.

    I understand people wanting to do them because it is the only thing out there but I can't handle being worse and when you research you willread people say after doing their exercises for MONTHS they feel better. How do they know they wouldn't anyway without going through the worse symptoms with the exercise and I also read a study that said there is no difference in people who do them ongoing to prevent than there is with those who don't.

    I don't want to cause you not to do them but I know I would like to find others that disagree with them and affirm my beliefs and that I am doing the right thing because like I said that is all we have it seems and our only hope.

    • Posted

      Yea i can understand people who suffer with balance doing them but im pretty much ok unless i stand on 1 leg and shut my eyes but i dont need to do that much............haha!!
  • Posted

    For me the VRT exercises and balance tests (in a box when the floor and walls move) are tiring and hard. But they are having hugely positive results. I'm staying with them, because they are exactly what is needed to "fix" the problem.

     

  • Posted

    Hi Steve,

    Yes, it is normal to feel worse after starting VRT.  The brain is trying to figure all the signals out and it takes some time to get all the mixed signals corrected.  Try to keep at it, if it feels worse, go slower.  If you feel really bad, stop and get back to it later on in the day or the next day. 

    How long have you had this?  Is it labs or VN?  Do you have damage to the vestibular nerve?

    I hope you feel better.

    Nicole

    • Posted

      Hi Nikki they said its VN i dont have balance issues that affect my daily life just more lightheadedness that seems worse the more active i am.

      the exercises im doing are looking at a fixed letter on wall whilst moving head left to right and then up and down and closing my eyes and standing on one leg or one leg in front of the other.

      i cant see how that helps my dizziness or thick foggy head as it feels sometimes

      ive had this 7 months now some days feel great others not so good ...

      but today has been real bad 

      when i did exercises i felt fine so its not the doing them its the day after

      Not sure if just getting on with your daily life as normal as possible is of just as much benefit

    • Posted

      Hi Steve,

      I think the foggy head is also caused from the mixed signals the brain is getting.  I have been told that the brain is overworking on the dizziness and that leaves less brain power to focus on other things and that is what causes the fogginess.  So once the dizziness settles, then the fogginess should settle.

      I have also talked to people who said that getting on with daily activities and living life as normal as possible has helped them too.

      Are you on Facebook?  There are several groups that are for these conditions and people can talk to others on there about their symptoms.

    • Posted

      Nikki yes im on FB, so have you got VN or Labs?

      how will my exercises help me get rid of the fopggy head and lightheadedness that i sometimes get i must say it always seems worse in the mornings...........is that normal?

    • Posted

      Some people it bothers worse in the mornings and some people in the evenings.  It really is different for everyone.  I have VN, I was told that it looks like I had vn and that my brain is still set in the hypersensitive of dizziness.  I was then diagnosed with chronic subjective dizziness from still being dizzy, three years later.  I had the vestibular testing and the test called vemps, I showed no response in the left ear.  So the doctor said that ear is not working properly.
    • Posted

      yea my left ear has vestibular damage.................so will you ever be dizzy free?
    • Posted

      It all depends on the person.  Hard to say really,  From statisitics, most people should be ok with only slight dizziness sporadically.  The brain is suppose to compensate but for us unfortunate few, it takes longer then others.  Figures, right?  lol  Anyway, I hope you start to feel better soon.  I have read a post on another website, that their doctor told them they do not see a 2-5 year time frame for getting better.  I'm guessing that I'm in the latter since it's already been three years.  Also, anxiety plays a big part, more then people realize, because apparentley, the inner ear is connected towards the anxiety part and it's an automatic response, even if we feel fine, it's automatically setting of anxiousness.
    • Posted

      Wow thats so true my anxiety has come to light these last few days it makes life even harder not sure what way to turn now im so fed up !!
    • Posted

      Yes, there are some root causes for dizziness that will never get better. That is scary right? And I learned that there is dizziness that takes one round and round and another that goes round up and down like a Ferris wheel ride at a carnival. Also some people can find one spot or position where they are not dizzy and others who can find no relief at all.

      All of it is difficult. I sure hope for relief for all of us.

      💛 Dawn, USA

  • Posted

    Hi Steve, sorry you have found this so difficult. Once when I was hospitalized for severe vertigo, the first day of the vestibular physical therapy completely stopped my extreme vertigo. Then it took an additional 6 weeks or so to work on the mild dizziness, but it all worked and lasted for more than 10 years before it began to bother me again.

    I have learned that there are many root causes that can cause vertigo with some that may not be responsive to the physical therapy. So two things come to mind. First make sure the vestibular therapist has adequate training and diagnostic tools. Secondly, make sure your root cause is correctly diagnosed.

    My third bit of advice, given my first two points are in place, is to remember that we must must do our required exercises in order to improve. And as with many circumstances in this life, we might have to become worse before we can become better.

    Since a sedentary life style helps create my vertigo, I am back in therapy for it. I have endured 6 major surgeries over the last 4 year's and have been forced to lay around a lot, so my vertigo has come back.

    So my therapist told me to begin doing 4 different exercises five times a day until my next appointment and they make me feel nauseated. SO, I plan carefully around my daily activities as to when I will do them and I keep an anti-nausea medication on hand as well as the traditional treatment with meclizine and valium.

    However, it is imperative for a true initial diagnosis, as well as measuring true progress in therapy, to NOT take any medications when you plan to go to a therapy appointment.

    Good luck!

    💛 Dawn, USA

  • Posted

    Hi Steve,

    I started VRT a few weeks ago and I also feel terrible. I feel worse now than I did before but from what I'm reading that could be normal. I'm also questioning if I want to carry on incase I am making matters worse for no reason.

    I've had dizziness for about 8 months now and have struggled to cope with it, haven't worked as a result of how bad it's been. I have started to learn that anxiety does make it worse so am trying to bring that down as much as I can but it's obviously not easy. I've started meditation and put myself forward for counseling - things I wouldn't normally do and believe in but I've become desperate. All I want to do is get rid of this and would do anything to do so.

    Can I ask why or how your dizziness started? Mine they think was from a mouth infection.

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