WHAT'S BALANCE THEREPY LIKE?

I'm supposed to be starting balance therepy soon.  Does anyone know anything about it?  What do they do?  The Doc said that this will help me work with my balance problems, how to move, how to move safely...etc etc. But, I just want to know what to expect.  I'm a worry wart, and theres no Doc appt that doesn't make me nervous.  I need to know what I'm getting into.

Thanks,
Chiao, Hasta la vista baby, I'll be back!  Hee Hee
Sandie

[starryeyes1]

I went into PT for balance 2 days after my dx. My PT person works on walking, sitting on a big ball and lifting opposite arm and leg at the same time, I throw a ball at the high wall and catch it, she has me do some tai chi also. She focuses alot on the strengthening of my leg muscles. She switches it up occasionally and I usually am in there for 30 min.

She tells me that I am able to catch myself better if I start to fall, but I will  tell you that it hasn't stopped or aleviated the dizziness. I am just used to it now so I know how to manuever around things. I think originally I thought I would "get better". I feel that I am still the same.

My MS dr had said that we can retrain the brain to overcome the obstacle that is a lesion. He compared it to a car that has come to a roadblock and it has to find another way around it.

The people here in AZ don't have much experience with MS. I am looking forward to my move back up to WA where they see alot of MS.

Good luck on your therapy.
HUGS,
Kristi

[rendean]

I had balance therapy from a very knowledgeable PT gal. She likes neuro maladies over orthopedic ones so I am so lucky to have found her !

I did a similar program to Kristi and did it for 8 weeks. Due to neuro plasticity, I now have improved my balance, can fall "safely" and can do the heel to toe walk forward and backwards (can pass the sobriety test while sober now). The dizziness SLOWLY wanes or else you get used to it.

Ren

[Wobbly]

I too had the same type of balance therapy.. found it helped abit.  I was thinking of buying myself a balance ball.. the PT said it was a good idea and said to make sure to buy a good one.. it was grey in color.

take care and enjoy your PT
wobbly
dx

[Eyesnlegs]

Ditto the same as others here - my PT reckoned it is possible to train the brain to re-discover your muscles and re-learn to balance - if you see what I mean. I don't know if that is right but she has certainly helped me.

Her motto is 'make friends with movement again'.  She also suggested a
Dynair® Senso® XL which I bought from Amazon. You have to be sure and get a good one which is why she told me the make and it wasn't cheap. It is a wobble cushion and she told me to just sit on it for 5 minutes a day maximum. In fact you can't manage that long to start with if the dizziness is bad, so you need to build up.

This cushion works on your core stability nuscles too which are often affected in MS.

Good luck it is hard work.

Pat x