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Mentor

Having trouble keeping your balance?

Posted by John, Volunteer Mentor @johnbishop, Dec 13, 2018

I am at the age where I am always watching where I step so as not to lose my balance. Falling can be dangerous for some of us in the older generation. This is especially true when you have other health problems. It's important to work on being able to keep your balance. Today I received a Mayo Clinic on Controlling your Arthritis which I thought had some excellent and easy to do exercises to help gain better balance.

Slide show: Balance exercises
Adding a few simple exercises to your daily routine may help you prevent falls and improve your balance. See how to do them.
-- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/multimedia/balance-exercises/sls-20076853?s=1

What are your biggest balance challenges? What kind of exercises help you?

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dorisena | @dorisena | Apr 22, 2019
In reply to @johnbishop "Hi @dreamer38, thank you for the private message. I thought I would answer it in this..." + (show)
@johnbishop

Hi @dreamer38, thank you for the private message. I thought I would answer it in this discussion so that you could meet other members concerned about balance issues and falling.

Your question was you have had PMR since last Oct and been on Prednisone. You have fallen three times and have been told it’s the Prednisone. Nothing has broken but the bruises are awful and very painful! The grazings are nasty too. Do you have any helpful ideas?

I have no medical training but have had 2 occurrences of PMR and I stumble once in awhile. I also have osteopenia (thin bones) and have the same concern you do about bones breaking easily. I would first discuss it with your doctor to see if he has any suggestions or recommendations on supplements in case you have thin bones which makes falls worse for you. There are a lot of easy exercises you can do to help with the balance issues.

I'm tagging @becsbuddy @dorisena @helenr @lioness and @grandmar to see if they can offer some balance exercise suggestions for you.

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I am fortunate to have strong bones and always wanted to have physical fitness but never worked on it until my forties. I drank lots of milk all my life and was determined to never get osteoporosis. I stretched my vertebrae to cure pinched nerves and a herniated disc and read books on sports. I learned to glide on one foot as a beginning ice skater in my forties and that is where I became proficient in balance. You must think of having a string in a straight line down your body and then you slowly shift the body in a straight line to the left or right, using the other foot close to the body as a rudder for the balance. I also stretched my leg up on the kitchen counter while waiting for supper to be ready in a spiral position like the fancy skaters do. I tightened my core muscles which is important for everything.
Skip sitting on the balls at the gym or standing on those flat, floppy discs because you will probably fall, as I did. You don't need much shift in the body to balance on one foot. Just a little bit, depending on how much extra fat you are carrying. Dorisena

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2 replies
imallears | @imallears | Apr 22, 2019
In reply to @dorisena "I am fortunate to have strong bones and always wanted to have physical fitness but never..." + (show)
@dorisena

I am fortunate to have strong bones and always wanted to have physical fitness but never worked on it until my forties. I drank lots of milk all my life and was determined to never get osteoporosis. I stretched my vertebrae to cure pinched nerves and a herniated disc and read books on sports. I learned to glide on one foot as a beginning ice skater in my forties and that is where I became proficient in balance. You must think of having a string in a straight line down your body and then you slowly shift the body in a straight line to the left or right, using the other foot close to the body as a rudder for the balance. I also stretched my leg up on the kitchen counter while waiting for supper to be ready in a spiral position like the fancy skaters do. I tightened my core muscles which is important for everything.
Skip sitting on the balls at the gym or standing on those flat, floppy discs because you will probably fall, as I did. You don't need much shift in the body to balance on one foot. Just a little bit, depending on how much extra fat you are carrying. Dorisena

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@dorisena I love reading posts by women who adopt the same lifestyle attitude that I embrace. I have osteoporosis so I decided years ago that it was not going to “do me in” . I’m fortunate in inheriting “slim” genes and eat healthy bone foods. But, above all, I attend my 3x weekly gym classes where we concentrate on stretching and balance, some cardio and strength...it’s an active senior class. These are exercises I do everyday throughout the day in addition to core strength. Anyone can incorporate these exercises into their daily routine...it adds up...think about all the times you just stand around...waiting at the microwave...waiting in line....I’m doing step ups at the gas pump lol. If I didn’t go about life like this I would feel like a dried up rubber band that has no stretch left. No aches and pains for me. I am blessed not to have any organic problems or take prescription medicines. Each according to their own ability....raise those legs people even when sitting in a chair. Healthy body equals healthy mind. And no, I am not a fanatic and yes, I do binge watch Netflix on occasion...with pizza.👍🏻

Regards from Florida Mary

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lioness | @lioness | Apr 22, 2019
In reply to @dorisena "I am fortunate to have strong bones and always wanted to have physical fitness but never..." + (show)
@dorisena

I am fortunate to have strong bones and always wanted to have physical fitness but never worked on it until my forties. I drank lots of milk all my life and was determined to never get osteoporosis. I stretched my vertebrae to cure pinched nerves and a herniated disc and read books on sports. I learned to glide on one foot as a beginning ice skater in my forties and that is where I became proficient in balance. You must think of having a string in a straight line down your body and then you slowly shift the body in a straight line to the left or right, using the other foot close to the body as a rudder for the balance. I also stretched my leg up on the kitchen counter while waiting for supper to be ready in a spiral position like the fancy skaters do. I tightened my core muscles which is important for everything.
Skip sitting on the balls at the gym or standing on those flat, floppy discs because you will probably fall, as I did. You don't need much shift in the body to balance on one foot. Just a little bit, depending on how much extra fat you are carrying. Dorisena

Jump to this post

@dreamer38 Good morning I have had balance and dizzy problems This was coming from my ears I saw a ENT Dr in a separate incident I have fallen because of balance For this I did exercises to strengthen my core first just pull your stomach in while working Stand on 1foot CT 10 then other I also do some yoga,chi qong,orTai Chi I too have Osteopenia so strengthen your core and do these exercersis stand at chair to do them 🙂

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1 reply
helenr | @helenr | Apr 22, 2019

the link is really good advice. Thank you.

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peggi | @peggi | Oct 16, 2019

I am not experiencing simple balance issues: I get sudden, unprovoked, unexpected static sensations accompanied by rigidity. I have to suddenly force my upper body forward, all the way to placing my hands on the ground or around my ankles, to prevent falling straight over backwards like a statue. This happens when I am standing still, talking to someone.

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1 reply
peggi | @peggi | Oct 16, 2019
In reply to @lioness "@dreamer38 Good morning I have had balance and dizzy problems This was coming from my ears..." + (show)
@lioness

@dreamer38 Good morning I have had balance and dizzy problems This was coming from my ears I saw a ENT Dr in a separate incident I have fallen because of balance For this I did exercises to strengthen my core first just pull your stomach in while working Stand on 1foot CT 10 then other I also do some yoga,chi qong,orTai Chi I too have Osteopenia so strengthen your core and do these exercersis stand at chair to do them 🙂

Jump to this post

I do not get dizzy/. I can stand perfectly still, but don’t dare try to take any steps, in which case I stiffen up and fall. I just stand there waiting for someone - anyone - to give me an elbow for security. Then my body relaxes and I can walk very easily.

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Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Oct 16, 2019
In reply to @peggi "I am not experiencing simple balance issues: I get sudden, unprovoked, unexpected static sensations accompanied by..." + (show)
@peggi

I am not experiencing simple balance issues: I get sudden, unprovoked, unexpected static sensations accompanied by rigidity. I have to suddenly force my upper body forward, all the way to placing my hands on the ground or around my ankles, to prevent falling straight over backwards like a statue. This happens when I am standing still, talking to someone.

Jump to this post

@peggi, It must be disconcerting to have sudden and unexpected episodes like you describe. I'm not sure if this is helpful or not but it may shed some light on your symptoms. It's a chapter from a book - Episodic Neurologic Symptoms - Clinical Methods - NCBI

Chapter 51 - Episodic Neurologic Symptoms
-- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK374/

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1 reply
peggi | @peggi | Oct 16, 2019
In reply to @johnbishop "@peggi, It must be disconcerting to have sudden and unexpected episodes like you describe. I'm not..." + (show)
@johnbishop

@peggi, It must be disconcerting to have sudden and unexpected episodes like you describe. I'm not sure if this is helpful or not but it may shed some light on your symptoms. It's a chapter from a book - Episodic Neurologic Symptoms - Clinical Methods - NCBI

Chapter 51 - Episodic Neurologic Symptoms
-- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK374/

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I really appreciate your attentiveness to me, and your attempts to help me. However, no where in this extensive article does it mention SPS, diagnoses with an extremely elevated GAD antibody. I don’t believe any of the diseases or conditions listed are accompanied with that finding. I need to find something that corrects that inhibiting antibody.. and corrects my proprioception, specifically so that I am able to golf.

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1 reply
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Oct 16, 2019
In reply to @peggi "I really appreciate your attentiveness to me, and your attempts to help me. However, no where..." + (show)
@peggi

I really appreciate your attentiveness to me, and your attempts to help me. However, no where in this extensive article does it mention SPS, diagnoses with an extremely elevated GAD antibody. I don’t believe any of the diseases or conditions listed are accompanied with that finding. I need to find something that corrects that inhibiting antibody.. and corrects my proprioception, specifically so that I am able to golf.

Jump to this post

@peggi have you ever used Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/)? I did a search for "stiff person syndrome +elevated GAD antibody" and got quite a few hits. Here's the link to all of the search results.

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2019&q=stiff+person+syndrome+%2Belevated+GAD+antibody&hl=en&as_sdt=1,24&as_vis=1
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1 reply
peggi | @peggi | Oct 19, 2019
In reply to @johnbishop "@peggi have you ever used Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/)? I did a search for "stiff person syndrome..." + (show)
@johnbishop

@peggi have you ever used Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/)? I did a search for "stiff person syndrome +elevated GAD antibody" and got quite a few hits. Here's the link to all of the search results.

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2019&q=stiff+person+syndrome+%2Belevated+GAD+antibody&hl=en&as_sdt=1,24&as_vis=1

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Thank you so much for all of your information. I am so confused, though: I have some similar symptoms, but then I also have some not mentioned. I have no pain, no spasticity; but I’d do get sudden spontaneous shocks up my spine that threaten my balance, and I become very stiff (feel like a statue) when I am chilled. My core shivers. I wonder if I should try to get in to Mayo. My current neurology specialist has only treated one other patient with an elevated GAD Ab titer. O

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