Vestibular / Balance physical therapy
 

So I had my visit at the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Clinic today (excellent state-of-the-art facility by the way). I took the IMPACT test which was a test on the computer that asked me which symptoms I was experiencing on a scale 1-6, then proceeded to test my memory, speed, and other skills using a series of 6 different tests. I then met with two neuropsychologists afterwards to discuss the results along with my history and current status.

The docs basically told me that my main weaknesses are in the vestibular area. He told me to hold out my thumb and follow it 180 degrees with my eyes and said my eyes jump to follow my thumb when it should be a smooth motion.

He wrote me a script and recommended I take balance / vestibular physical therapy and noted that it is going to help a lot with my foggy thinking and dizziness symptoms.

He also said with my injury being in crowds is going to make my symptoms much worse, which I can personally attest to.

He also gave me a few other suggestions:

1. Do not take naps. Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday including weekends.

2. Exercise about 5 days a week using low weights and low impact such as stationary bikes or treadmills. But avoid going to the gym during times there are a lot of people there.

3. Repeat cycles of exposure and rest. In other words, do something active, and follow it up with rest. Basically don't be too active for too long or rest for too long. Exposure could be considered going to Costco, working at work, going to the gym, going for a walk, paying bills, etc. Rest would obviously include quiet time but NOT napping.

He told me that it is more difficult to recover from injuries with my personality type (Type A) because we like to push ourselves often beyond what we should. He also said that anxiety is typically what my personality type experiences with concussions, rather than depression. He re-assured me that my anxiety is normal.

He told me I will recover 100%. He sounded very confident that the vestibular / balance physical therapy is going to help me a lot.

Does anybody have experience with vestibular / balance physical therapy? Did it help you? What should I expect to go through?

My first appointment is this coming Monday (May 6) followed by two more visits (1/wk) until my follow up appointment with the neuro on May 23.

All in all I feel much more confident I am going to get through this thing. He recommended I continue with my 4 hour work days at least until my follow up appointment.

Sounds like you got some good advice. They know a lot about concussions but are still over-stating some of their claims. "He told me I will recover 100%" If you read their research, they admit that they do not have systems to measure recovery to the 100% level. Since their goal is Return to Play, this may be what they mean by 100% recovery. Even then, they also admit that they can not measure and predict if the brain ever recovers to its pre-concussion level of tolerance for another impact.

So, follow their instruction but remember to protect your brain from further impacts.

Way to go!!! Im glad you found someone that can pin point the problem and find possible solutions. Keep us updated on how the therapy goes.

I Can Relate
 

I have been doing vestibular therapy and PT with a TBI specialist since January.I was a little sick in the beginning and I practice both vestibular therapy and PT at home and see therapist twice a week.We are working on balance test again right now to see how I am coming along with therapy.

Wish you the best

Therapy
 

I read your post yesterday but didn't respond becca use I have difficulty writing well.

I went to dizzy and balance therapy and found it extremely helpful. Part of it was that I love my therapist. My symptoms were horrible a few months ago and now they are 90percent better, which makes life much easier. It took me eight weeks of therapy to get better.

I still go now but we are working on vision. I can't get in to see a specialist til late July.

I am also type a. My advise to you is to not try to do too much too soon. They would tell me to do thirty reps , 3 sets. So I would think, I can do twice that! And then I would get sick! You need to take things very slowly. Everyone would ask what my therapy was. And I would have to say that this week I am trying to stand in a corner and move my head without falling over. And they would say really, that's all? Yes, it's really hard. Then I rest and try to walk across the room while moving my head. Then I rest again.

But I really noticed the gradual improvement.

And luckily my therapist knew more about concussions than anyone that I had met and she had plent of time to talk to me.

Su seb

So Vestibular therapy is basically balance and vision exercise?
My chiropractic neurologist has been doing various balance exercises with me like one foot in front of the other arms crossed and eyes closed to check on my my balance. Before he does this he asks me to do a series of eye exercises where my eyes follow his finger to various places and then he will move his finger quickly and i have to shoot my eyes to his finger quickly. He will ask me to spread my fingers wide and he will try to push them in and then hold my arms up one at a time and try to push them down. Then I need to go home and do an eye exercise where I will follow my finger in a diagonal peripheral and then quickly shoot my glance to the opposite side and I will do this exercise on one foot and then the other. Another exercise he told me to do is stand stand one food in front of the other and my left arm will be doing figure eights in front of me.

My one post concussion symptoms are chornic headaches. I'm not really too sure what these exercises are doing and how they will benefit me?

Thank you for your feedback.

Not quite
 

It's a bit different. It is dizzy and balance therapy designed to work with the vestibular system. I go to the national dizzy and balance center in Minnesota.
Su seb

Vestibular Therapy
 

I went to it about 4 times and it really helped me.

I am pretty sure the balance exercises and the exercises I did with my eyes helped me get rid of that horrible, awful, dizziness.

I have now graduated from vestibular therapy and I am supposed to do the exercises 3-4 times a week on my own.

I hope it goes well for you!

My experience with vestibular therapy
 

I just thought I'd chime in and mention that I'm one of the few for whom vestibular therapy did not really work. I did it for about 4 months without much improvement. At that point, my therapist referred me to a neuro-optometrist, and he has been able to help me. If I'd known then what I know now, I would have gone to him sooner!

Great to hear feedback from everyone! It seems that this therapy helped the majority of people here. It sounds like the time frames for recovery do vary with this therapy.

Poetrymom - That's great you had results in only 4 sessions!

Su Seb - So glad to hear you are 90% better! Did you also have brain fog as one of your symptoms along with your dizziness?

DFayesMom - I will keep that in mind if the vestibular therapy does not work for me. I'm glad to hear you found someone who does help you!

MiaVita2012 - How would you rate your improvement since January? Excellent, great, okay, not good, etc.?

Thank you everyone else for the encouragement! I will keep you all posted on how it goes.