How and when does balance really improve?

[kkl]

Dear all,

I had my 4-cm AN removed from my left side about 7 weeks ago.  Me left face was paralyzed on the 2nd week but it's slowly improving now.  I can smile now but not very even yet.  My left arms and legs have weaker control and it seems that it happens to quite a few ANers.

I never imagined that the healing process is going to take this long.  At first, I have this heavy head but it seems to be better now.  My balance is still off though.  I can walk without a cane but stagger a bit at first. For stairs, I still need to hold the rail and do it very slowly.  I live in Asia and it seems that VT is not offered.  Any exercise anyone can recommend that I can do at home? My doc just asked me to walk and walk some more but am getting impatient.  I guess I want to ask is how long does it take to visibly notice improvement in your balance and any tips?

Any help is appreciated.

K

[Jim Scott]

Konnie ~

I'm sorry it's taking longer than you would like to regain your balance function.  Frankly, the timeframe for regaining your balance, post-op, varies with the individual.  The brain has to adjust to the one-sided input and that can take awhile.  I found that walking on uneven surfaces helped.  We live in a two-story condominium so I got plenty of opportunities to walk up and down stairs every day, which, in hindsight, was a big help in regaining my sense of balance.  Frankly, although my balance is 'serviceable' (I never needed a cane and I don't need to use the handrails when using stairs) it is not what is was prior to the manifestation of my AN.  However, I get around just fine and 4½ years post-op/radiation (I had both) you would not even guess that I'm working with only one balance nerve.  I'm sure other posters will be able to offer some tips on balance retraining and I hope your impatience will motivate you to work on balance exercises and regain your equilibrium, soon. 

Jim

[Brendalu]

K-
I am 5.5 years out from 3.5 cm translab.  I did almost two years of PT and my balance didn't improve.  We bought a Wii Fit and I saw a remarkable for me improvement.  Mine isn't going to be perfect, because I also have MS, but at least I am not bruised and bloody from running into walls and falling in parking lots.  Like Jim said, it is a different time frame for each of us, but if you check out the archives there should be a thread on the Wii and all of the people who have benefited from it. Good luck
Brenda

[CHD63]

Hi Konnie .....

Yes, everyone's recovery time is very unique.  Regaining your balance depends so much upon how quickly your brain compensates for the missing or mixed vestibular signals it is receiving.

My situation is very unusual (no functioning vestibular nerves) so I will always struggle with balance issues.  But, I have learned to compensate in other ways.  One of the best exercises for regaining balance I found was to find a safe fairly narrow hallway and walk up and down the hall ..... first looking from side to side while walking, then up and down.  At first I stumbled and caught myself against the walls many times and could only walk slowly at first.  Gradually pick up the speed, as you are able.

Much of our balance is related to how stable our vision is.  A good one for that is to put a post-it note on the wall at eye level with a big letter A on it.  Stand back about 6 feet and hold your gaze on the A while turning your head from side to side and then up and down.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

Clarice

[leapyrtwins]

It all depends; everyone's AN Journey is somewhat unique.

At only 7 weeks post op you'll find that things will keep improving as time goes on.

I think my balance improved for at least 6 months post op, but even today - almost 4 years later - I still have occasional balance issues when I'm stressed, over-tired, or walk long distances.  Walking in the dark can also prove to be a challenge at times.

Jan

[CF]

In terms of "how" .... your brain will compensate for the affected (lost) balance to some extent, and if you practice movement that requires balance, it will get better at it .... the same as for any practiced motor activity. Practice (repetition) will make you better at it, and hence your balance will improve. So definitely do more walking, and your ability to balance during walking will improve.

Can't add much more to the other good advice posted above  .... check out my other post here:

http://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=14705.msg979722267#new

[Brewers7]

Sounds like you are making great progress.  When I walk on tile floors, I try to stay within 2 12" squares.  Susan

[Chris P]

Hi,  I am a Newbie to the Forum but I can already see how much people care and offer great information.  I had my Gamma Knife Radiation Treatment on an AN in on my right side ( a one time , 10 position treatment)  last June,2010.  Four months later I experienced facial weakness, hearing loss and tearing in my right eye. 

It is now eight months after my surgery and four months after I first noticed the facial weakness and I am still not fully healed.  My balance is not all that good but I do find that if my sight is good my balance is better and some days I feel more stable than others.  Also as one other member mentioned the dark is much more challenging. 

As far a the facial weakness goes it is confusing to me because the doctor told me once it starts to improve it goes fast , however I have seen minor improvement over time but it seems to me it is going very slowly.  The fact that everyone's journey is unique makes it hard to give advice but just hearing others experiences help.

I hope you feel better soon and in the meantime know that you are not alone .  That seems to help me. Good luck.

[stoneaxe]

At just 7 weeks I'd say you're doing well. I struggled with balance problems for years after proton beam, bouncing of walls, occasional falls. VT didn't help all that much and was terribly boring. Find something that you can enjoy and safely do that challenges your balance and work harder at it than you've ever done anything. I was fortunate to find standup paddle boarding. Not only does it challenge balance to the extreme but if you fall its just into the water. I also think it is unique as a form of therapy because it offers a broad horizon for you to concentrate on and retrains your sense of balance to be more visual.
If you do want to work at VT on your own most of it is very simple...standing on one leg, standing on an inclined piece of foam rubber, standing on an inverted bosu ball, walking a straight line one foot behind the other, and similar kinds of exercisaes. Search on youtube for some examples. I'd suggest giving yourself a flat horizontal line as a point of reference while doing the exercises.
I'm 7 years post radiation and coming up on 2 years post surgery. My life today is better than ever and I very rarely have any balance issues at all and even when I do (usually accompanying a head cold)  they are hardly noticeable.

good luck

[grega]

Hi Konnie et al,

Best to you with overcoming your balance issues.  Clarice's post brought back memories of my VT in Dec '10. Yep, very fond memories of wondering why the heck am I walking while looking left and right, and then up and down.  But ya know, that really helped me.  As Bob stated, it's boring doing all that stuff, but I think, and hope, you'll notice improvement.

So start slowly .... no need to hurry .... and be careful walking in the dark, cause, duh, something might just happen.

Keep smiling
Greg

[Kathleen_Mc]

Did you loose the vestibular  in the surgery or is it just traumatised? This will make a difference. If only trauma it just depends on how long it takes to "wake up",  just need to be patient. If severed it's hard to say if you will ever see an end to the balance issue, I still have a balance issue but it's far less noticeable to others.

[Chances3]

Hi K,

I took VT for 8 weeks here in the states.  I found that it helps, and I continue my exercises.  Here are a few i was taught.
Take a large ball and do circles with it while you keep your eyes on it.  10 times clockwise, 10 times counter clockwise.
Take two pens, keep them arms length from your eyes and about 18 inches apart.  Without moving your head, move your eyes
back and fourth taking turns looking at the pens.  Eventually go to playing cards, I used two kings and focused on their eyes.
Go walking outside, and turn your head left for two strides and then right for two strides, do that for 30 feet ( 10-15 meters ).
Then, do the same thing looking up for two strides and then down for two strides.
Someone already discussed the sticky on the wall, I'll repeat that one, I find it helps the most.
Get a sticky and draw a big "X" on it, put it on the wall, about 2 feet from you.  Sit in a chair, keep your eyes on it and turn your head quickly
from left to right without taking your eyes off of the "x". Do it again but this time moving your head up and down.  Work your way up to a couple of minutes a day.  Try this standing up as well, but keep in mine the "X" sticky should be even with your eyes.  I hope this helps, the exercises will make you dizzy, but you are challenging your vestibular system, which is what you want.  I would do them everyother day, and remember NEVER GIVE UP !!