Iām just wondering if anyone here has issues with balance. Can you balance on one foot, eyes open or closed? Or balance on one foot while looking around and moving your head? Iāve been told to practice these exercises on a daily basis. Iām usually ok balancing with my eyes open but as soon as I close my eyes itās over which is telling me that Iām dependent much more in my vision for balance these days. Just wondering about others experiences with this issueā¦
I think that is called a positive Romberg sign. Yes, I have that. I do know that I rely very heavily on my eyesight. My doctor says its all part of it.
Me too. Eyesight for me is a huge part of my balance mechanism. Put me in total darkness and Iāll fall over (even standing on 2 feet, braced) and the only way Iād know where āupā was would be because I was laying on the floorā¦ gravity rules! 
I have made some gains doing Vestibular rehab, but the dark still sucks!!
Cat
Oh Romberg I had heard of that but didnāt know thatās what it is. But googling it was a bad idea since it can be a sign of some awful things which doesnāt help the anxiety! But itās good to know itās normal with these benign illnesses as well. Iām really anxious for my consult with gain but itās still over a month away, I keep coming up with more questions!
Iāve had a lot of trouble balancing with my eyes closed. It just means that you need your eyes for stabilization since your ears and brain and body arenāt up to the task without relying on the eyes. I used to feel like I was blowing in the wind when standing with my eyes closed. I have been on Celexa almost 4 weeks now, and I noticed yesterday that I can balance better on one leg with my eyes closed; I donāt feel hugely better, but I did notice that was something that has improved, oddly enough.
I too have trouble in the dark. But I can do it. Itās very uncomfortable at times though. One day I asked a bunch of people at work to try it just to see if normal people could do it no problem, and what I found out was that everyone could not balance on one foot with there eyes closed for longer than 3-5 seconds. Iāve been practicing this method with the eyes closed for quite some time now and Iām able to go 10 seconds on one foot on most tryās. Even when my balance isnāt good at all. Itās tough to do but I can do it. And the people that I asked are looking at me like Iām nuts cause I can do it twice as long as they could. They said are you sure you have a balance problem. Laughing I said, yea, weird isnāt it. I may be able to balance on one foot longer than them, but me trying to change a lightbulb-not good. I nearly kill myself everytime trying to balance on that ladder. Where as normal people can obviously change lightbulbs with ease.
Greg
A ah. A Romberg thread, @dizzy3 take note. I think Migraine Variant balance disorder really is the better description. After all just remember the strange looks one gets when you tell friends and acquaintances itās migraine. MVBD is very much more what it says on the tin.
I can equate fully with the comments of @beatles909 although I have always assumed my enhanced standing abilities were in some way related to previous Tai Chi experience. The Romberg even eyes open becomes increasingly less attainable with age. I remember a Tai Chi instructor wanting to check that the entire class (age wise day time class and all pensioners apart from me) could safely balance on one leg before introducing new form (Tai Chi speak for movement). Only two out of maybe twelve present could stand on one leg eyes open. The instructor and me!
I have tended to think of the inability to do standing on ladders, squeezing through tight spots and other such manoeuvring as a failure of Dynamic Balance rather than Static Balance but donāt know whether thatās correct. What I do find strange is before my balance settled when I was 24/7 dizzy I could happily do the step ladder, climb a stile or steep bank, squeeze through obstacles/hedges etc but now on medication and perfectly steady I cannot. Same with Tai Chi. Any static exercise is fine. Or at least any exercise that doesnāt involve moving the feet much. Those requiring full coordination of arms and legs with movement, most particularly involving side to side seem to throw my balance after
A brief period.
thanks Helen! yeah, I totally believe that any balance problems I have are due to migraine. My static balance is pretty well, but as you mentioned, there are things that throw me a lot. I have been doing head movement exercises and its helping a lot with getting thrown off with simple tasks, like cleaning my sonās toys!!!
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Mightnāt that just be the Propranololās influence (cue quizzical look)
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Must admit I wonder about the validity of the Romberg. I donāt practise it. I tend to try it out periodically in order to establish how good of otherwise my balance actually is. Then wonder at the results. Yesterday I had a tight head and stuff neck most of the day which as is usual results in poor balance. I can see I am sort of stumping around rather than walking properly. Rather like my feet keep feeling surprised that the floor is so close when they go down onto it. Yet I did a near perfect Romberg with both eyes closed. Whereās the sense to that.
i donāt know much about balance and movement dynamics, but I have all sort of inconsistent things like that. I can totally stand with closed eyes in one foot, but also run / stumble into things often. I remember the vestibular therapist told me once that my balance was perfect, I just had some issues with exactly what you are saying, my feet dragging or stumbling or doubting where to step, and also my eyes having problems to focus/ not fast enough gaze. I did vision therapy for like 4 months and it helped.
I think I can explain that. First movement relies on good functional balance, second on Spatial Awareness or rather a lack of it. That is much more to do with 3D vision a lack of which generally indicated some eye misalignment of some sort. Mix judged distance. Did you ever read the paper I linked in on āvertigo of Oculomotor Originā? Might be worth a read
Thinking about it. Really I find the best indication of how good my balance is on any given day is just a quick look at my feet. The farther apart they are when standing the worse my actual current balance really is. If itās good thereās a 4 inch gap. If bad probably more than double that.
Yes, my balance is awful since I got ill a year ago. Feel as if I lurch around on occasion, regularly lose my balance and am rubbish with my eyes closed! Rehab exercises help and also yoga. My balance isnāt great in the dark but strangely mainly when Iām walking outside in the dark.
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