Vestibular dysfunction is a process

that may occur over time.  There are some who experience vestibular dysfunction once or twice over the period of several years while there are others who battle the problem much more often.   When it comes to helping these individuals, I believe we need to be careful how we educate people regarding what they should expect for the future.  Sometimes I think looking at vestibular dysfunction one day in the clinic may be like looking at a digital picture of the following:

Snow: is it melting or freezing?
(Is the inner ear in the process of getting worse or better?)

Rain: just began or stopping?
(Is the inner ear problem at it's early stage or is it almost done running its course?)

Building being built: is it a home or office (Is the inner ear problem BPPV or is it signs of Menieres, Vascular Insufficiency or Autoimmune Dysfunction?)

Using adrenaline

to have better balance works for some individuals.  I have noticed that individuals who suffer vestibular disorders often perform better during competitive intense training.  When they are driven to remain focused and are competing to win, their balance performance greatly improves.

Why should I exercise?

While practicing Physical Therapy in Canton, Ohio, I have had the opportunity to work primarily with clients who have dizziness and balance disorders.  One special type of therapy that I have used with this population is Vestibular Rehabilitation.  Many individuals who benefit from Vestibular Rehabilitation also have a problem with tension and stiffness.  In fact, I have learned that tension and stiffness are often a primary problem for individuals who had dizziness and balance disorders.  Because I have been immersed into this type of population, I have become more focused on the impact of tension and stress on our ability to move and our overall health.

The normal reaction when we are stressed is to want to fight or run away.  Any perceived threat causes our bodies to tense up.  Many of us have issues that cause stress that we carry with us all day long.  Then, we go and try to get a good hard intense workout it.  Sometimes our workouts stress us out because we didn't perform the way we had hoped or we didn't make as much progress as we had planned on making.  Even worse, sometimes our workouts stress us out because we really didn't want to be doing it in the first place! 

What if we were to change the reason we exercise?  What if our primary reason for exercise became to learn how to relax when we move?  What if we "went green" or tried to use our own physical energy more wisely during the day?

Why is it good to be dizzy?

Dizziness often causes the unconscious to become conscious.  In other words, things that occur in our bodies that do not require our attention, suddenly are brought to our attention.  We never thought about how we felt when we moved before, but with the presence of dizziness, we think about it all the time.  Reflexes that allowed us to move (without thought) are now being drowned out by our need for control. 

Green light dizziness is benign dizziness that we must feel in order for it to go away.  As long as an individual has been diagnosed and has been told "it's good to be dizzy" then it truly is good to be dizzy.  There are psychological and physical reasons why it is "good to be dizzy."  When we welcome "green light" dizziness into our lives, we decrease it's relevance in our lives.  Our body gets the stimulation it needs to heal and our sense of movement can then return to the reflexive/unconscius level. 

(There are rules that should be followed when it is good to be dizzy.  Do not practice these concepts without the guidance of a medical professional who has experience working with green light dizziness.)

Is dizziness really unpredictable?

That depends.  If a person has BPPV, the spells are very predictable.  They will tend to occur when a person gets in and out of bed, rolls over, tilts their head back or bends over.   Once the problem goes away, it is difficult to predict when it will return.  Migraine dizziness can sometimes be predictable because of an aura that occurs prior to the spell.  The dizziness following a Migraine is usually aggravated by motion which makes it predictable.  Menieres type dizziness may be predictable based upon the type of diet the person had a few days prior.  After the Menieres attack, the spells that follow are usually motion provoked which makes them predictable. In summary, the first attack of dizziness is usually unpredictable, but the following spells are usually more predictable.  Vestibular rehab can help an individual determine when their spells are predictable.