Hi Kerri,
I thought the following exercises might help deal with your balance issues -- they are exercises I learned in PT and have helped me a lot. I started PT three weeks post-op and used a cane for about the first 10 weeks or so after surgery. I stilll have some balance issues but they are very much improved.
I don't have diagrams or a print out, but here are the exercises I've been doing for improved balance. I do three sets of each. If you need to hold onto something for support at first, rely on the least amount of support you can and eventually do these exercises without holding onto anything -- you can start with your eyes open and as the exercises become easier, try to close your eyes for the appropriate exercises:
Stand in front of the kitchen counter or a chair with your feet together, arms crossed over your chest for 30 seconds.
Stand on each leg, first with your knee up at a 90 degree angle, and again with your knee bent so that your lower leg is behind you also at 90 degrees Do each exercise on both legs.
Stand heel to toe,, three sets for 30 seconds each, alternating left and right as the front foot
Stand on a firm foam block or two pillows feet together for 30 seconds. If you can't stand with your feet together, stand with them slightly apart but closer than shoulder width and build up to standing with feet together.
For the next couple of exercises, you need someone to guard you:
Stand with your arms ourstretched in front of you at shoulder heihgt and march in place -- really lift your kness as much as you can without losing your balance. After getting your bearing, close your eyes and march for 2 minutes. The object of the exercise is to stay facing forward and not travel. Don't get discouraged if this doesn't happen right away. I still travel and tend to turn to the right (my AN side).
If you have exercise cones great, if not, I use water bottles for the next exercise. You will probably need someone to hold onto your hips for this one at first. Eventually you will be able to do thiis exercise without support:
If you have a balance board or plan to get one, try to stand on it, keeping it even for 3 sets of 30 seconds each at first, gradually increasing as much as possible.
Arrange three cones/water bottles (20 oz) about three inches in front of you, one very slightly to the left of your left foot, the next about 6 inches away directly in front of you and the last slightly right of your right foot about three inches in front of you. Tap each cone/bottle, first going from left to right and then riight to left with each foot. as you get better at this exercise, move the cones/bottles out firther -- it's more challenging.
Have someone stand behind you with a ball and pass it back and forth, twisting left and right as you pass it over your shoulder in one direction and bending and passing at about knee height in the other direction -- this can defintely make you very dizzy.
Walking is great exercise for balance and pretty much everything else :
Walk at a comfortable pace looking right and left and up and down as much as you find tolerable. This may make you feel evern more off-balance, but my doctor assures me it strengthens the vestibular (balance) system. Waling on different surfaces is also good -- instead of the sidewalk, walk in the grass, up and down hills,etc.
The following are eye exercises -- you will need two highlighters or magic markers for some of them:
Hold highlighters or markers at about shoulder height and width. Turn your head left and right as fast as you find tolerable for three sets of two minutes each.
Hold one highligter directly in front of your nose, almost touching it. Hold the other an arm length away direcly in front of the one near your nose. Focus on the highlighter closest to you -- if you're doing this right (I find this one very hard) the highlighter iin hte background will appear as two highlighters or you will at least be able to see part of it on either side of the one closest to you.
Sit in a chair and lean over so that you are facing the floor and shake your head as fast as you can -- three sets for 1 1/2 minutes each. This will probably make you very dizzy at first but gets better.
Tape a business card to the wall and sit in a chair about 2 feet away. Turn your head left and right, keeping the card in focu for three sets of 2 minutes. Repeat this exercise looking up and down, keeping the card in focus and epeat this exercise.
Write an uppercase letter on a 3" X 3" post-it note and stick it to the wall. Sti in a chair about 8 feet away and follow the exercises shown above.
This exercise is meant to simulate movement in crowds:
Take a sheet of 8 1/2 X 11 paper and either draw or print out 10 columns in different colors. Hold the paper directly in front of your face (Just a couple of inches away) focus on one column and movethe paper rapidly back and forth for three sets of 30 seconds. As this becoimes more tolerable to look at, make the columns thinner and aldd more columns.
I also recently started doing ballet exercises with a friend who is a dance teacher. These are too detailed to try to explain, but there are dvds you can get on line if you're interested. I don't know how good they are or how good/bad your balance is, so this is just a suggestion.
I hope the things I've described help you and I'd be interested to know how you are doing, so keep in touch.
Best wishes,
Wendy
