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Anyone had Vestibular Therapy? I have a question

I had my first vestibular physical therapy session yesterday ( a real session, not the evaluation ) and I feel awful. I fell this morning, which I haven't done in a while, over the last few weeks when I get dizzy I can brace myself or sit and beat "the fall". This morning I got dizzy brushing my teeth and went down fast and hard (with a toothbrush in my mouth) and I'm pretty banged up. I was so tired I slept after my session yesterday and went to back to bed after getting my daughter ready for school this morning. I feel like I have rice krispies in my ear from all the snap, krackle and poppin' and I was totally out of it and loopy after my session. Oh I did I mention, it triggered a migraine? Is this normal? Does it get better? Cause I'm thinking it does sound like something I'd like to continue to put my self through. HELP

  1. Hi danadibs1979,

    Thanks for your question. I don't have any experience with this type of PT, but will check with some fellow advocates. Hopefully others will be along shortly to share their stories with you.

    Nancy

    1. Hi Danadibs1979,

      I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience! I have not had vestibular therapy but a few years back was given a simple at home exercise to do to help my vertigo that was likely migraine related. I was told to sit on my bed and fall to one side, lay there for a minute, sit up quick, fall to the other side, etc. It made me feel really dizzy in the moment but then slowly over time it did help. I don't know if this is similar or not to the type of therapy you are receiving. I would suggest mentioning to the therapist your reaction to the treatment, maybe he/she can dial it back a bit. Sometimes people don't realize we with migraines can be extra sensitive and need to go at a slower pace than some others. If the therapist isn't helpful, then I'd bring it up to the doctor who prescribed the therapy as maybe there is a more gentle option. Hope this helps, and hope you feel better!

      Lisa

      1. Lisa it is pretty similar, thePT is a little more aggressive. Maybe I'll try your way for a bit and build my way up to going back to PT. They are going into my ear on the 19th to "look around" and do some testing. The worst part is I actually have cluster migraines behind my left eye, the dizziness/vertigo has always been there, but it's at the point where I've injured myself several times and ended up in the ER. Thank you for reaching out. It means a lot to me.
        Dana

        1. Hi Dana,

          I'm glad they will be taking a look and seeing if they find anything. My dizziness could have been caused by something completely different than yours so it can be hard to compare or figure out what might be the best course of action for you. I wouldn't hesitate to communicate that the therapy is too aggressive for you. I'm glad my words were helpful to you!

          I am curious what you mean by cluster migraine, as that is not an official diagnosis. This article explains: https://migraine.com/living-migraine/cluster-explained/ If that is your diagnosis (and not just your description) I would consider seeing if you can get a more accurate diagnosis of what you are experiencing.

          Do please let us know how you make out.

          -Lisa

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