Do you rock when you sit?

[lovemy6monkeys]

This started for me on Saturday. Or, at least, that is when DH pointed it out to me. If I'm sitting fully supported I don't notice it, but if I'm sitting where there is no back support, after about 20 seconds I will start to rock forward and back. It is not a huge amount, kind of a gentle swaying (although I will move a bit once I notice it, so I'm not sure if the swaying will get worse if I let it go?) If I tense up I will not rock, but if I just sit relaxed I will start again in a matter of seconds.

I have been feeling more off-balance lately. I've been more clumsy, and I seem to have developed a habit of bumping my head on things if I bend over near anything.

Could this rocking be a progression of being off-balance or is it something unrelated?

My poor DH is worried about me :-( He keeps mentioning how he thinks I've been having more and more issues since I started the Copaxone. I remind him that the effects of Copaxone can take 9 months to start showing. I'm not having anything major, but like I say, it's like I'm being brought down by paper cuts.
~Jess

[Faithuruo]

Im sorry you're going through this. It is however nice to know I'm not alone and neither are you.I've been experiencing the slight body rocking on and off for 8 months. Been to the ER 3 times,MRIs,catscans,blood tests, changed medication, diet. Drs don't know what's wrong. I get really tired, weak, light headed,foggy feeling like I'm not present or slow to respond. This last week I was nauseous & headache during episode.While at work I'm sitting and it starts, the slight involuntary rocking. Sometimes my heart beat is the same rythem as the rocking. Other times my blood sugar may be low. It makes me dizzy because I'm trying to work on three computer screens. I'm so tired of not having an answer and feeling like no one understands. One thing I've noticed is the episodes may be stressed induced. Do you find that to be true for y'all?

[mrscmuzik]

I have chiari Malformation and was wondering if the rocking might be caused by it .. I've been rocking/swaying for many years .. always thought weird but never told anyone. Now that I've been diagnosed with Chiari 1 Malformation. I'm thinking that's another one if the symptoms

[PastorDan]

Hahahaha!!!!  No, actually, Audrey Hepburn was one of my favorite actresses, and starred in one of my favorite films.  Wild guess: you're younger than I am.

My tremors are probably my longest-lassting symptom.  I've had them for years, but they were dramatically worse when I was having all the other stuff going on.  I never really felt that they were caused by MS, just aggravated by it.  They're actually better now than before that ordeal, at least most days.

[supermum_ms]

Ahhhh thanks for pointing that out, is is Katherine Hepburn lol i'm not sure who Audrey Hepburn is, probably just a figment of my imagination.

Cheers........JJ

[Deb61]

I had a horrible head tremor at one point that caused very noticeable rocking.  Ever since then, I have noticed a very gentle rocking when sitting.  It's caused by a very slight head tremor (I guess it's really the neck).  

[sadie405]

Oh, yes- I asked you about this in your other post.
In my case, I have the sensation of rocking when sitting without actually doing so.

[PastorDan]

I've had problems very much like JJ's; fortunately that still seems pretty much gone, thank God.

(JJ: Did you mean Katherine, rather than Audrey?)

[thornygates]

my neuro visit last week he noted mild tremor in body and head while sitting. I use to only notice it when my mom would ask me why i was shaking. then i would notice it and sometimes try to change the way i was sitting. sometimes it helped or I thought it did.

Now i sway while standing most the time and while sitting. sometimes worse then other times. I'm in limbo land, have ataxic gait / balance issues. I know some  PwMS have this problem. yet am sure that it can be caused by other things too - like everything else.

Thank you for the posting this question.  I have been wondering if this is common or not.

TG

[Cosmobirdy]

I sway side to side.  It's worse when my other symptoms are acting up, or when the fatigue is worse.  It's most noticeable when I am sitting or standing unsupported, but when it is really bad, I even rock side to side while I'm lying in bed.  I always joke that I'm going to make my hubby seasick, lol.  

And it seems the worse my swaying is, the worse my balance is overall (and vice versa) - especially if I close my eyes, look up, or look to the side.  It seems I always do some swaying when I'm standing, even when it's not too bad sitting - and I can feel the motion even when it's not really noticeable to others, if that makes any sense.  Doesn't seem much that they can do about it.  I find that when it's really bad, if I go out in public I get really worn out, cause I am apparently unconsciously trying to tighten my muscles to make it less obvious.  Hopefully yours will at least be less obvious at times and give you a break.....  I've been dealing with it to one degree or another for about 2 yrs now.

Rita

[supermum_ms]

I've actually wondered if this could be related to muscles or tremors, it could feasably be either. When my tremors are playing up so to is my ability to be still, and considering my muscles usually play up at the same time, i've not worked it out. At the moment my tremors are pretty dorment, so slight its hardly noticeable but when they are active I often look like Audrey Hepburn.

I am constantly moving and it doesnt really matter how much support there is, I can still feel my self moving, even when its not obvious to anyone else. I find it doesn't matter what type of chair i'm in, if i'm not laying down i will move (and sometimes even then too), it does get exhausting. I dont move as much if i'm reclining, with my body sandwiched into the cushions so the paddling is coming around to mid shoulder but that still leaves my head. The back of my head is supported but I move from left to right so unless my head was in a vise, i'm still gonna move. lol

At the moment i'm good, i still fall over backwards if i look up, still fall forwards if i have to stop suddenly because my feet freeze on me, i still vear to the left whilst walking but this moving issue is more of a problem if i've got the tremors and my muscles are not cooperating too. Though i do know my proprioception center got fried so maybe thats it, dont know the why but i sure know the feeling!

Cheers........JJ  

[Wobbly]

I wobble alot of the time... sometimes my head only and other times my body..

I hang onto things alot of the time or hold onto myself, it helps to calm my body too

take care and hang in there
wobbly

[Lulu54]

Yes, I know one particular MS patient who sways noticeably because of the disease.
You are right about being patient with the copaxone -6 months at least for it to really kick in and make a difference.  

Lu

[RedFlame]

My body goes back and forth while sitting w/o back support.  My sister pointed it out to me.  I thought it was because of pain.  I'm not aware of it.

If I am standing still (trying to), I will sway sort of dangerously I think

Perhaps it is part of the MS struggle.  

Red

[COBOB]

I think there are two reason people sway.  I have issues with proprioception, so I suspect that there are some delays of data getting to my brain and my body is constantly trying to correct for sitting upright or standing upright.  The second issue (which I don't seem to have) is lack of core muscle control or strength.  It would seem in this case that someone would move from "upright" and the brains proprioception center provides corrective data to move you back to "upright."

Bob

[Mike_Shuswap]

I often sway around whether I'm sitting or standing.

A lot of the time I don't even notice until my wife mentions it. I don't think it's happened much in the last little while, at least my wife hasen't said anything lately.

I have balance and coordination issues, and I think the swaying around may be related to these kinds of problems.

Mike