I got my first VRT exercises today.
So I just came back from the vestibular rehabilitation therapist, and we went over my first exercises today. Some of them made me feel pretty dizzy and nauseous, but she says that that’s a good thing. 
So I basically have 3 exercises that I have to do 3 times per day. She said we’d move on to some more challenging exercises once these become easier.
The first exercise is to stand heel-to-toe in a doorway with my eyes closed (it’s harder than it sounds, but maybe just for me). I guess this is to retrain my brain to rely more on my feet for balance than just using my vestibular system.
The second is to look at a business card from arm’s length away while shaking my head faster and faster. This one made me particularly dizzy — but again, that’s supposedly a good sign for the potential for improvement.
The third thing I have to do is to put my head down between my legs in a sitting position, and then bring my head up really fast (I mentioned this one last, but I’m actually supposed to do it before I do the other exercises to overload my vestibular system).
I’m prepared to feel worse for a little while doing these exercises if it’s going to help my longer term recovery. And the therapist is so nice about everything, she really makes me feel hopeful.
Oh, and the last thing I had to do was to stand on a kind of foam mat and try to balance myself with my eyes closed. Again, really hard to do for me (especially when I had to do it standing on one foot!). I have another appointment next week, where she’ll assess how well I’ve been doing with the exercises.
5 Comments, Comment or Ping
extraordinarymachine
I’m really glad to hear that this physiotherapist is optimistic about your potential improvement. Stick with it, even when you feel like you’ve had enough and remember that things are always difficult before they become easy. Good luck!
Aug 2nd, 2008
tonia
Hi! I have damage from an inner ear virus I had about 4 years ago and will be starting VRT next Wednesday. I’ve enjoyed browsing your blog.
I was wondering…how is the VRT going?
Aug 8th, 2008
Vertigo Guy
Thanks for the kind words both of you. Extraordinarymachine, I’m definitely going to stick it out with the exercises, no matter how bad I feel. But it’s always nice to get some encouragement.
Tonia — sorry to hear that you’ve got the dreaded vestibular damage. I know exactly how you feel, and it’s certainly no fun. I was going to answer here about the VRT, but I figured I’d write a new post instead to answer your question.
Aug 8th, 2008
Troy
I had and still suffer from this to some extent. For me having it diagnosed had the most positive impact on my life as I was living in my own world, couldn’t drive, couldn’t work and felt uncomfortable being on my own. I thought that I had some type of mental illness as I went undiagnosed for up to 8 months and no one could give me an answer until I went to a neuro physiotherapist. I now have it under control but from time to time have what I call a bit of a relapse. I am unsure whether alcohol has an impact but I know that if I am extremely tired and have gone without a minimum amount of sleep, there is a good chance depending on what I am doing. It was the most terrible time of my life and I feel sorry for anyone going through it but the exercises did work for me and I am thankfull!
Jun 10th, 2009
geraldine
I also have been prescribed these exact three same exercises and have been doing them for four months and don’t feel any better. I felt slightly better in June but now I’m back to square one and can hardly walk outside due to crippling disequilibrium.
Jul 26th, 2009
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