Balance issues after TIA or Stroke?

I completely relate to yiur balance issues. I progressively got worse over 8 years to the point I have motion lights all over the house and used walking sticks outside for stability. Doctors just made speculations until my physiotherapist noticed my eyes did not seem to track correctly. I went to a visual therapy clinic that had all the correct testing tools and found the lacunar infarcts had caused a vestibular-ocular signaling mismatch that caused my dizziness, balance issues and headache. I was prescribed a 3 x/ day mu upsilon eyeglasses and at home light therapy exercises plus tinted prism lens glasses. It was life changing! Instead of feeling hopeless and 20 years older, I now feel 20 years younger. This was totally missed by several neuroligists. Might be worth checking into. Good luck.

My balance was much, much worse after having a stroke. Nearly six years later, it's still not that great.

I think there are several reasons why, mainly that my brain gets mixed signals from my affected vs. non-affected sides.

I can compensate well enough when I can see, but in darkness I get disoriented very quickly.

More practice seems to help.

Good luck!

You may find my YouTube channel about my recovery experience interesting:
"From Recovery to Discovery"
http://www.youtube.com/@srlucado/videos

Can you tell us the name and location of the visual therapy clinic?

Long before my TIA I got imbalance when I closed my eyes but after my TIA I have it all the time which is due to stenosis/narrowing mainly in my carotid arteries which gives the brain a lack of oxygen.

I went to Okanagan Vision Therapy in Kelowna, British Columbia. He did say he studied with colleagues in Texas and California.

Gosh the brain and spine problems always seem to cause similar problems. I have severe DDD in cervical and lumbar spine and do not have any offered treatment aside from physio or injections. Physio is good but the injections did nothing. My carotid arteries have minimal blockage but I have a tortuous vertebral basilar artery. Doctors brush that off as nothing, but I suspect otherwise as I can early pass out if my head is in certain position. Maybe a doppler ultrasound would show something. Lack of oxygen may have caused my lacunar infarcts as well. Still guessing there.

Hi, I have problem with my basilar artery that goes up the brainstem to the brain. Like you, I have many herniated discs from C3-S1 (many have become stable after acute problems) and impingements in vertebrae, displacement of vertebrae, impingements in the body of the vertebrae, etc. since I was a child. Is stable now, does not need painkillers other than occasionally, has a special head pillow. I think I have fibromuscular dysplasia in my spine as well. A medical doctor calls me every 3 months. The worry about stroke is troublesome.
Wish I could get a doppler ultrasound.

I had a hemorrhagic stroke a year ago in my right occipital lobe. My balance and peripheral vision is shot. I do vestibular exercises every day and I only use a walker to walk outside. When I’m walking it feels like my body is on a 45° angle to the left. in my case I have just figured out how to compensate for it. And I hope that someday the exercises make it somewhat better.

Some of you have mentioned balance issues after a TIA or stroke. I wanted to see how it's going.

@esque — you mentioned an increase in balance issues while walking after your TIAs and that you were worried about falling. How has your balance been since mid-November, when you mentioned this? Have you experienced any falls?

@spibill — thanks for sharing about the balance issues you experienced and the difference visual therapy made when you learned your eyes were not tracking correctly. Are the prescriptions for 3 x/day mu upsilon eyeglasses, at-home light therapy exercises plus tinted prism lens glasses something you are doing short-term? Or are they something you will do on an ongoing basis? If ongoing, how are you finding keeping up with these?

@zerodas — I noted in another Mayo Clinic Connect discussion that you talked about being told recovery from a stroke is a marathon, not a sprint, which sounded wise. You mentioned in this discussion that your balance and peripheral vision are shot after your hemorrhagic stroke and that you have a routine of daily vestibular exercises and walking with a walker. How is that going? Do you find it easy or hard to keep up this routine?

The doctor seems to think I can stop the exercises and prism eyeglasses after the nerves calm and accept the new non fight or flight mode. Its been three months, so I may try some scenarios with fewer exercises and/or wearing if glasses. Initially, I had the glasses off to do some work and felt nauseous without them but that has improved. I still want to know why I have the lacunar strokes. No solid answer yet and little interest from drs.