Vertigo

Wesser

My friend who Lives in the north west has severe vertigo due to BPPV. She has been fully diagnosed scans and seen by ent, nothing sinister... but there really isn't s cure with conventional medicine. Has anyone experience with alternative practitioners maybe a cranial
Osteopath please advise.

BlueFairy

Hi Wesser,

Your friend might want to look into vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT), which is a treatment for people who have problems with their balance system. There are only a few people in the country who do it, and doctors don't really seem to know much about it, problems with balance are still a bit of a mystery in Ireland. I've been through it myself for a balance/vertigo problem I had for a long time, and it was tough but it helped enormously.

The place I went to was The Balance Center in Dublin (recommended by my GP, the physio's name is Dr Doug Duffy), but there might be someone closer to your friend who can help. If she gives that particular clinic a shout they might be able to recommend someone near to her.

With regard to BPPV, if the diagnosis is correct, there is something called the Epley maneuver that can be performed. It's a simple move that can help move the crystals of the inner ear back into their correct part of the ear (when they are out of place this is usually the root cause of BPPV). If this hasn't already been done for her by a doctor, she can ask a VRT therapist to do it for her instead and hopefully it might actually help.

I know some of this sounds a bit pseudosciencey, crystals in the ear and all that, but it is actually the proper route in medicine for people with ongoing vertigo and balance issues, it's just so little known that it all sounds a bit mad! If you do a bit of googling you'll see what I mean, a great resource is vestibular.org which is the website of an American association for balance problems.

Dizzyblonde

Blue Fairy is spot on, BPPV is very easily treated if your friend has it. If not then VRT is definitely the way to go. Unfortunately, all the ENTs who specialise in dizziness problems are based in Dublin, but there may be vestibular trained physiotherapists nearer. They're amazing, they can usually do the Epley Manoeuvre or tailor VRT to suit the individual if it isn't BPPV.

Blue Fairy, can I ask how much the VRT helped you? I'm a long-term sufferer (24 years) and I did the six week intensive course a few years ago as part of a study. Unfortunately it didn't help me much at all, maybe because I got to it too late. The earlier the better, and it wasn't around in the early years for me.

cassid

Have had two bouts of vertigo in the last four weeks, do you have to be in the middle of an attack to attend the balance centre ? Poor you dizzyblonde suffering all those years. I just get bouts of it, not sure why, stint of stemil or serc and loads of motiluim does the trick

cassid

very apt username, just spotted that Dizzyblonde

Dizzyblonde

cassid wrote: »

Have had two bouts of vertigo in the last four weeks, do you have to be in the middle of an attack to attend the balance centre ? Poor you dizzyblonde suffering all those years. I just get bouts of it, not sure why, stint of stemil or serc and loads of motiluim does the trick

No I wouldn't think so.

I don't get bouts. Mine is constant disequilibrium and feelings of false motion, varying in severity.

rgossip30

Are you entitled to disability allowance with it if its severe . I had 2 bouts in the last few weeks and will see the Doctor .
My mother and aunt had it too so it could be hereditary . I feel its always there is the background noticeable in the morning when I turn my head I see an image trail .

ollieelfie

hi ,does anyone know of any professional doing the epley manouvre in co. kerry ?
thanks

njs030

ollieelfie wrote: »

hi ,does anyone know of any professional doing the epley manouvre in co. kerry ?
thanks

Gps can do this, mine does it.