[willgaines]

My Nurse Practitioner recommended an MRI, as I had symptoms of normal pressure hydrosephalus (NPH). I am early in the progression so my most obvious symptom is a loss of equilibrium and thus walking with my feet further apart for balance. This is usual for NPH.

As I walked to the MRI machine my symptoms were as noticeable as ever. There was a lot of head vibration during the MRI. I speak here of mechanical vibration, not the magnetic effect. Someone in these forums described it as like a jackhammer.

When I stepped off the MRI table, my symptoms had immediately improved 80 to 90 percent. Just like that. About half of this improvement has remained.

NPH is caused by excessive retention of cerebrospinal fluid (CF) inside the brain. One surgical approach is a "shunt," another word for a drain line, to let CF out of the brain and into another part of the body.

I am a 78-year-old retired engineer. I have used vibration to improve fluid movement in machines.

I have been Googling for info on vibration and NPH, and vibration having an improving effect on any flow of any brain or body fluid. So far found almost nada. Any ideas anyone?

NPH is sometimes diagnosed as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. I found these are treated with some success with vibrating magnetic fields, which may indirectly cause mechanical vibration, but nothing about mechanical vibration itself as a treatment.

I have seen a number of posts here of persons whose pain was increased by MRI vibration.

Has anyone used vibration to improve any brain or nerve-related symptoms?

My interest is more than personal. I would like to generally stimulate research into vibration therapy for brain diseases.

I am well aware that a single event, such as my MRI, is not statistical proof. However, it is also true that if you throw a hundred bricks out the window and one goes up, that's significant.