[Soccergal]

Currently, I am doing all three of these therapies. I added one at a time with the latest addition being my first NUCCA adjustment today. I am cautiously optimistic that I will see some improvement from the combination of these therapies.

I thought I would give a brief description of my experience with these therapies thus far.

Vestibular:

- 1st appt was full assessment with therapist and 1st treatment.

- She placed dark goggles on me with a camera that showed my eye on a television screen, but completely blacked out my vision. This allowed her to watch my eye jump and bounce as my brain tried to make sense of the positions she was putting me in.

- Diagnosed with BPPV (basically it's a displacement of crystals/debris within the inner ear which then sends incorrect information to the brain about one's head position).

- Treatment - ongoing - consists of therapist putting goggles on me again and manipulating me/my head into various positions to use gravity to move the crystals/debris back to where it should be.

- Home Exercises - ongoing - some is added at each appointment. Currently consists of balance and eye-tracking (that's my term for it). Balance exercises now include me walking down a hall turning my head from one side to the other (this is the most difficult for me), walking backwards, one foot in front of other. Also 1/4 turns while standing beside counter.

- Effects - at first, I was very very dizzy and nauseated from the treatment, but it did settle down and it seems the crystal/debris issue is under control. The exercises are intended to desensitize my brain so that it accepts the neurological damage as "normal". I am finding myself less dizzy and my congnative state is noticeably improved. The theory is that there is less stress on my brain from dizziness.

Active Release Therapy:

- Performed by my regular Chiropractor who never adjusts my neck by the way

- I have done this off and on for years. I have always had headaches going back to my early teen years because of my first head & neck trauma.

- ART has always been the best treatment for my excruciating headaches and I suspect has lessened my migrains as well

- ART was amazing for me when I was still playing soccer - cured of long time lower back and leg pain that became quite a bit worse when I started to play soccer.

NUCCA:

- Performed by a NUCCA certified Chiropractor who was recommended to me by my regular Chiro (don't you just love it when they are helpful rather than in competition with one another!!!!)

- Very impressed. 1st appt was 1.5 hr long yesterday. Throrough medical history taken, lots of posture measurements and X-rays.

- 2nd appointment today, Xray results and my first adjustment then more Xrays to confirm that it worked.

- Adjustment involves zero cracking. Very light pressure that to me felt almost like light massage pressure to area just behind lower part of right ear (lying on my side with head on a head-rest that was elevated).

- Wasn't just a quick press and done kind of thing, it probably took about 5 minutes for the whole adjustment. It's clearly as much art as it is science.

- Upon rising for my post-adjustment posture measurements, I noticed I did not have the throbing in my head as usual when I rise up. Then, when Dr. S told me to close eyes and turn my head right then left, I couldn't believe it! NO Pain in my neck! That hasn't happened in about 20 years!

- My headache has returned in various areas and my back is getting a little stiff now. Dr. warned me that this would likely happen as my muscles adjust to the new alignment. Neck pain is still gone!

Next appt is day after tomorrow to see if the adjustment held and if not, I will have another adjustment. This will be a weekly appointment to confirm if it's holding and adjust as necessary. More info can be found online if you search on NUCCA - various videos are available on youtube as well.

So far - I'm very impressed! Will probably know more about long term results in 4-6 weeks.

Wellness to all of you,

X-Soccergal

[Soccergal]

Vestibular therapy yesterday (Epley maneuver) and NUCCA adjustment today. Blah, I feel just terrible! Extremely dizzy and nauseous, BUT my headache is 75% better! Just here on NeuroTalk to update folks as I recall Nick saying he was bad after NUCCA too.

I have not given up hope though, Im going with the theory that it may get worse before better.

Will update here again after next week's NUCCA.

Xsoccergal

[HeadStrong]

Thanks for this info Soccergal. I am getting ready to start Vestibular Therapy too. Tried some Therapy about 4 months ago, but after the first session, my Doc pulled me out saying I wasn't ready.

At my last Doc appt, he did a couple of movements on me to see if it triggered the pins and needles feeling in my arms/hands and decided I needed an MRI CSpine and Vestibular Therapy.

[HeadStrong]

OOOPS forgot to ask... do you have someone drive you to these appt? Are you too dizzy to drive yourself afterwards? I really want to start driving again...it's been 5 months now.

[Mark in Idaho]

xsoccergal,

Are you icing after your NUCCA or ART treatments?

I hope you have the Epley before the others. I can't imagine how much an Epley could mess up the other treatments.

Why are so many chiros so remiss in advising icing?

It is like getting a new set of tires but not inflating them.

[Soccergal]

Headstrong, I am driving myself to and from the appointments, but I do struggle quite a bit. Often, I have to sit in my car and settle myself for a while before driving. Then, when I get home I'm pretty wrecked as far as dizziness goes. As far as driving goes on a regular basis - I don't go out if I'm too dizzy and I only drive very short distances.

Mark, yes I do ice after my appointments. My primary Chiropractor (the non NUCCA guy), is a big fan of icing as am I. I often ice my neck & head even for my headaches, I find it to be soothing. I have my Epley/Vestibular appointment the day before my NUCCA as you are right, it could really mess up the NUCCA adjustment.

XSoccergal

[Soccergal]

I had my NUCCA appointment today (1 week after my last adjustment) and the adjustment from last week held! Yay, no need for any adjusting this time around and my back is finally feeling better! I guess my muscles have gotten used to the new positioning of my spine. I've been pretty close to headache free for about a week.

I asked my NUCCA chiro about feeling bad after (very dizzy) and he said that it is not uncommon and is actually not a bad sign at all. It's just the nervous system settling in to the adjustment. He said changes can occur for months after being finished with the NUCCA adjustments as the body adjusts. I go again next week.

I did not have vestibular/epley appointment yesterday as I'm now going every two weeks. I've been a bad girl - I have not been doing my exercises. They just make me feel so bad, it's easy to "forget" to do them. Today's dizziness has been caused by doing too much on the computer. Yesterday's was too much TV - 2 hours with many breaks throughout the day. It's just too much visual stimulation I guess.

Active Release is this Thursday and I always feel better after that, although the appointment itself is painful.

That's it. Hopes are still very high that these treatments will alleviate most of my dizziness and headaches and thus reduce the load on my brain.

Improvements are extremely small and over many months, but I'll take what I can get!


Thanks,
XSoccergal