Meniere's and Osteopaths, a post from Duncan

Discussion in 'Meniere's Disease "Database"' started by Finch Platte, Sep 26, 2006.

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  1. Finch Platte

    Finch Platte New Member

    Hi-

    I'm Finch. Can't remember if I've posted here before or not, but with the loss of data, I guess I can start fresh.

    Long story short, I've been diagnosed with Meniere's. I've been trying the low salt/no alcohol or caffeine diet to no avail. I went to the doc today, and he is having me try Valium to help with the dizziness (he's had me taking Triamterene, which helped w/ the ear fullness, but I hate it because it raises havoc with my bike riding).

    So now, I am going to try seeing an Osteopath, and luckily, I had printed out this letter from a fellow named Duncan, who posted it here a while back. I would not have remembered the information otherwise. :p

    Here is his letter as he posted it. Hope it helps someone. Any typos are probably mine. :-\

    Hello

    I was diagnosed with Meneire's 2 years ago after 3 years of intermittent attacks - full rotational vertigo, 3 hours of vomiting, tinnitus, followed by half a day sleeping In between attacks I had constantly fluctuating hearing in one ear and variable levels of tinnitus. Living in the UK, I was prescribed Betahistine and started a regime of very low sodium, no caffeine or alcohol.

    All seemed under control (although still with hearing problems and tinnitus) until I hit a stressful time in my life last autumn and attacks started occuring every two weeks. Nothing stopped them happening although the attacks got less severe but they still laid me out for half a day at a time. I tried upping my betahistine dose: following the 'john of ohio' regime; homeopathic remedies and nothing fundamentally changed regularity of the attacks or the 'classic' symptoms - hearing loss in one ear; brain fog; severe intolerance to noises; difficulty in simply getting through the day.

    After 6 months of regular attacks, and more in hope than anything else I went to see an Osteopath who looked at how I was standing and predicted which was my bad ear from how twisted he said my body was.

    Apparently my body was twisted from my pelvis upwards, my eyes weren't level and one ear (the bad one) was twisted so it was not level with the other one. I laughed at all this but he performed a series of manipulations on my body and particularly on my neck. Although I was warned I'd feel bad for a few days, I felt fantastic. My hearing returned (I am a very active musician and this was one of the most difficult things to come to terms with) and for the first time in months I felt like my head was steady and attached to my body!

    Since this time I have felt fantastic. My wife and kids say I'm like a new person. In the last 4 weeks I should have had 2 attacks but in spite of having some caffeine and alcohol I have totally lost that feeling of 'teetering on the edge' waiting for the next one to hit. I feel a million miles away from an attack and every 'symptom' has disappeared completely.

    Like many people I suspect, I trawled the web looking for answers because I didn't feel that the doctors knew what the real cause was and I send in my experiences because I seem to have found a solution to my 'meniere's' in a place I wasn't expecting.

    Good luck
    Duncan


    fp
     
  2. gardenfish

    gardenfish New Member

    Osteopaths are sometimes ridiculed or regarded with disdain by md s. However, osteopathic physicians are an important part of medicine. THey fill a space unoccupied by other health professionals.
    Paul
     
  3. LisaB

    LisaB New Member

    I went to an osteopath once, and while I was hoping for a "cure" also, she did identify that much of what I thought was "brain fog" that you hear about with menieres was actually migraines. She gave me meds for this and now what used to be days of supposed brain fog clears up and is gone in 20 minutes. She was such a help. I recommend everyone seeing one. She also gave me some vitamin therapies developed by the Mayo clinic, alas I couldn't tolerate them because my colon has been removed and I was sensitive to something in it. But everything is worth trying! I'm so glad you had amazing results. Lisa :)
     
  4. ukduncan

    ukduncan New Member

    Hello

    It's Duncan here and it's been a year now since I sent in the above post.

    Since then, I've had regular maintenance sessions with the osteopath every 3-4 months. I have had no attacks since just before I had my very first osteo manipulation and also no return of any of the symptoms. I believe that without the maintenance I would not keep free of symptoms/attacks.

    I can eat and drink what I want and am thankful that I stumbled on a solution to my problem, particularly because life has thrown other medical issues at me and I would hate to have everything combined!.

    Good luck
    Duncan
     
  5. Amethyst

    Amethyst She believed she could, so she did.

    Thanks for the update Duncan - that's great that you found so much relief.

    Sorry to hear your having other medical issues.

    All the very best.
    Amethyst
     
  6. anavert

    anavert New Member

    Has anyone tried with success an osteopath in the Phoenix area???
     
  7. songbird

    songbird New Member

    Duncan,

    Thank you so much for sharing your good news story. Some of us are trying NUCCA chiropractic treatments which corrects the misalignment of the C1 in the upper cervical spine. I have to say, that before I was treated, my neck, back, hips and legs were constantly stiff, sore and aching. After 1.5 years, I can report that I have made tremendous progress - I experience the increased mobility every time I go yoga.

    I haven't had vertigo for over a year. I still have tinnitus and fullness but I always find they are somewhat relieved after a treatment (like yesterdays)

    Thanks for sharing, and I hope you find relief for your other medical issues.

    Songbird.
     
  8. ukduncan

    ukduncan New Member

    Hi Songbird, It's Duncan here.

    I haven't visited the site for a while but it's great to hear of your relief too. We don't have NUCCA practitioners in the UK and I've seen the huge thread from Henry about NUCCA. It maybe that over here, my osteopath is doing similar things, possibly more I don't know. But clearly this type of treatment works for a greater number of people than I imagined and that's fantastic news.

    It's been about 2 1/2 years since my post about my first osteopath visit. Regular sessions every 3 months or so has kept me working well. I had a reminder recently that I still need it though, because I left it 6 months and needed two sessions in the last two weeks to get my body alignment back - from pelvis up to neck. The tense legs, 'head not attached to body' feeling, eye strain, tinnitus all crept up on me.

    I'm lucky to have such a good osteopath that I am quite happy letting him manipulate me from hips to neck without questioning. I know I'll feel better afterwards (my other medical issues are sorted too!).

    This has meant that I can get on with life and forget about the horrible menieres attacks, that I feel very lucky to say, seem so long ago now.

    Best wishes and good luck to you all.

    Duncan
     
  9. songbird

    songbird New Member

    Hello Duncan!

    I did find one NUCCA practitioner in the UK - in London. Her name is Heidi Grant and she's Canadian, actually (like me!). I found her on the nuccu.org web site.

    Name:
    Dr. Heidi Grant

    Address:
    Suite 21, Harcourt House
    19 Cavendish Square
    London, US, W1G 0PL
    UK

    Phone Number: +44 (0) 207 495 2206
    Fax Number: +44 (0) 207 495 7455

    Website: www.nucca.co.uk
    E-mail: [email protected]

    NUCCA Certification Status:
    Certification Candidate: Level One Completed

    I suppose if you're no where near London, it might be a problem! I am so interested in your osetopath experiences. I would like to give it a try to see if the tinnitus and fullness can be relieved. There is one near my office in downtown Ottawa. So I will book and appointment and see what happens. I have always been a believer in alternative forms of medicine - more so since my doctor couldn't help me when I started to have vertigo and the ENT was only somewhat helpful. He spotted the TMJ - which I see the osteopath profession can also help with.

    Anyway, glad to hear that your other medical issues sorted out as well and you (and I) are getting on with life. So many others are so afflicted with this terrible condition. We are indeed fortunate.

    Songbird.
     
  10. amberini

    amberini New Member

    Just yesterday I had lunch with a group of people, one was an osteopath and this very subject came up. We had arranged a luncheon for the doctor to meet my son who will start Osteopathic Medicine school Monday.
    She said that NOW DO's are much more accepted than years ago and if anything, their approach to the whole body can be so much more beneficial for the patient.

    What a special person and SO many connections that she ended up having goosebumps.

    She is an ER physician and often times would have surgeons come down "pleading" for her to do an adjustment to their neck.
    They would go into a room, emerge a few minutes later with the surgeon smiling ...
    Of course, I knew that feeling, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
    As with anything, finding the right one for you is always the hardest part but ask around.
    Blessings to you, Janine
     
  11. Supersport

    Supersport New Member

    After 3 years of bad cluster headaches on my left side, I was referred to by a Neurologist to consider a Doctor of DO. I went to the one she suggested, and within 1 year, the episodes went from several most days, to 1 in about 5 months.

    In the past few months, I now have Meniere's to deal with, which I had never heard of until now. I just sent that same doctor in Maine a snail mail, and hope he can help me again.
     
  12. songbird

    songbird New Member

    Supersport -

    I hope you find relief - do tell us what happens? I"m trying an osteopath for my tinnitus - I go next month.

    SB
     
  13. Supersport

    Supersport New Member

    My Doctor, DO replied back stating, he really could not help much because Meniere's is not really a skeletal related problem. But, I still plan on paying him a visit (scheduled before all this tinitus, vertigo, nausea, fullness in ear, and vomiting started).

    And to think, I just successfully went through a renal transplant 2 years ago!
     
  14. ukduncan

    ukduncan New Member

    Hi Supersport

    I'm sorry to hear your Osteopath did not think menieres was really a skeletal problem, because that view may be closing off a line of treatment that will work for you.

    I am an expert only in my own body's problems and here's how my Osteopath describes my skeletal issue - pelvis out of alignment causing twist up my body, with the right side of my body lower - easily witnessed by my shoulders not being at the same height;twist continuing up my neck and the right side of my face causing pressure to be exerted on my right ear.

    I believe that my Osteopaths manipulations eliminate this twisting and release the pressure on my 'bad' ear. I still go every 3-4 months and this is the reason I have been completely free of menieres symptoms for more than 4 years. Each time I go I can immediately feel the release of pressure/tension.

    I would urge you to consider an alternative Osteopath. I know this therapy won't work for everybody, but I stumbled on it and it worked. Maybe it will for you!

    Duncan
     
  15. songbird

    songbird New Member

    Hey Duncan!
    I have been going to my osteopath since october and he has been able to help me with a number of issues - my pelvis rotates forward, pushing my back, backwards to compensate, and my jaw forward! His manipulations have helped relieve a great deal of jaw pain (I have TMJ) as well as relieve a lot of lower back pain. I still have tinnitus, but he is determined that it will disappear if he and I can get this pelvis thing where it needs to be. So thanks for the post. I hope it keeps working for both of us.

    Songbird
     
  16. lalacoll

    lalacoll Smile...it makes people wonder what you are up to!

    Very interesting - I am due to see a chirpractor this month, i have been referred from Physio as they say there is something "underlying" and pulling my left side. Does anybody this that this type of treatment will help me???!!!
     
  17. ukduncan

    ukduncan New Member

    Hi there

    I see from your membership that you're in Oban, Scotland (lovely place!). I'm in England and it was my experiences & post that was sent in by another member - Finch Platte, to start this thread.

    I believe the success of my treatment was because I was treated by an Osteopath. I think there is a difference between the US and UK in relation to the job that Osteopaths and Chiropractors do, but over here an Osteopath looks at and treats the whole musculoskeletal system.

    As you probably read I needed, and still need every 3-4 months, manipulation from pelvis to head. An Osteopath is the only person who can do this and so I would strongly recommend that you get referred to an Osteopath. The one I use is attached to our local GP practice and maybe the same applies for you.

    Good luck
    Duncan
     
  18. songbird

    songbird New Member

    Not the same for me at all...I have continued to experience a gradual improvement in all my symptoms plus a few more unrelated ones. As Duncan says, the manipulations for me start in my pelvis (opening up the hips, stretching quads, suppressing and releasing nerve endings in various positons) and moves up to my neck and shoulders. My NUCCA treatments took care of the vertigo from a localized position; the osteopathic treatments are for the entire body.

    For me, it's straightening out my forward tilting pelvis and then all the associated mis-alignments. Works for me!

    Songbird.
     
  19. lalacoll

    lalacoll Smile...it makes people wonder what you are up to!

    I have just recently found out that my hip was dislocated when i was born and now that i am an adult i am starting to feel the effects! Have been seeing a physio for back/neck problems but she can't do anything more with me - didn't think this could all be connected - not i'm getting excited!!!
     
  20. songbird

    songbird New Member

    The NUCCA chiro and osteopathic treatments have been working for me. I have an appointment on Wednesday, and I'm excited to see if he manages to reduce my symptoms yet again. I must say, since my last appointment 2 weeks ago, the fullness is about 50% less and the tinnitus...well, better, but still noticable. But better.

    Songbird.
     

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