Has anyone found that yoga is bad for MAV??? Any clues about what’s going on??
My neurologist is a fan of tai chi, meditation, yoga etc as well as the usual medication options …
Went to try yoga twice in the last month or so each time with evil, terrible, TERRIBLE results. Full on vertigo/spinning, migraine, nausea etc.
Gentle beginners class - reputable place, instructor, cheery “mature age” classmates. it felt perfectly OK but a few warning signs started towards the end of the class…before we even got to downward dogs and the like… :roll: . Within half an hour felt absolutely shocking and truly for days later (ie today…).
Otherwise “my” MAV is dirt common. Classic migraine for years and sudden onset MAV two years ago. Scanned and tested to the nth degree… From the neck down in robust health, back, neck sound etc. :? Still swim, play a bit of sport but nothing triggers anything nearly this spectacularly. cheers Wendy
I haven’t had that experience, but then I haven;t done yoga through a class.
My experience has been that some moves feel okay, others give me warnings, and I leave them alone.
Others on this board, though, have exercised in various ways, felt fine doing so, and then gotten a delayed kick in the butt (or upside the head); so I’m relatively lucky.
One small possibility: if you held on to your balance tightly during the moves, . . . that’s a bad move. I still feel payback from a long drive in sometimes rain, sometimes sun-in-my-eyes, which I reacted to by tensing my neck and back.
Wendy… Although I love yoga and do a “restorative yoga” class quite frequently, there are a lot of moves I do not do… These are the moves that involve moving my head under or below my body (like downward dog) or any heavy stretching or twisting of the neck…even in a beginners class. Try and talk to your instructor prior to class and him or her know tha you have a neurological disorder that precludes any major neck movement or head lowering… Then find what you are comfortable with… Also. See if your yoga center might have a healing or restorative class… Sometimes even the yoga 1 class is too much…and I’ve been doing yoga for awhile… I know exactly what you are talking about!! Good luck!!
I’m such a yoga fanatic but I have not tried it since my MAV got really bad. I am close to going back as I’m feeling so much better but I know that yoga and Pilates would just make me soo dizzy and I finally had to say good bye with tears in my eyes. I agree with what Others are saying here about knowing which moves not to do and trying that. I don’t know where you are at with your treatment but for me I just couldn’t do it anymore. I decided to wait till I had better control of my MAV and now that I do, my neuro has me starting with just stationary workouts at the gym like biking and treadmill. But he says he will have me back to yoga and Zumba and running soon.
Don’t push yourself too hard and definately see if they have a yin/restorative class and see how you do there.
I started yoga two weeks ago. I haven’t had any problems yet. Its a pretty mellow class though. We did warrior poses downward dog and a lot of hamstring/leg stretching. I find yoga to be very relaxing. I would never have attempted it a few months ago. Its a great stress releaser. I just started to jog 3 weeks ago as well. They say exercise helps your trigger level. Guess ill find out in time.
I found that, at first, I could not do my usual and very basic yoga routine at all. Only a few poses. As time has gone by, I am able to do more, but things like standing side stretches and warrior are still not on my list.
I do the poses I can, but as one person has already said exercise can be a trigger (it was for me at first) you may be experiencing it that way.
i loved yoga before my mav/mdds episode 2 years ago and tried 1 yoga class 6 months ago and it was terrible!! i don’t know if it’s the blood rushing to your head, staying still or what but won’t try that again for a long time.
today, i did try a “core board” class and LOVED it! i was really nervous about my balance on the core board (had it on the strongest setting so it wouldn’t rock as much) and had a fantastic workout! i feel best when moving so this was better for me opposed to the sitting and relaxing lol. god only knows though i need more r&r in my life!
Haven’t done any yoga but before my mav happened had been doing weekly Pilates classes for ten years. Really missed the classes and tried several times with very bad reactions. Now nearly two years on, having found a couple of meds that are working for me (Dothep & Periactin), I have been going through a few routines at home. I even did several ‘roll downs’ with no bad effects. That was a 'WOW" day! Thought I’d never be able to do Pilates again! Just taking things slowly but so happy I’m able to get back into it again.
Barb
Everyone - these are terrific responses and am so very grateful. For some of us there must be something menacing in new muscle tensions (or certainly blood flow) . Head movements too… And mega visuals - even if have gotten life kind of back to functional there can be nasty surprises…
Did ride my bike a few times again lately on a bike path not the road and it was bliss to feel normal. A bit of world spinning for an hour or so after was the only price. Fortunately that coincided with a handy cafe, pleasant lake view then all AOK.
