[bhayne]

I was involved in an accident 24 years ago that left me quite impaired with brain damage.

I have since rehabilitated to the point of my current position as senior professional engineer.

I am exercising to keep up to my 6-year-old daughter and I have determined that when I do backward summer saults I become so dizzy I cannot stand up without holding onto something. It takes about a minute to clear up. Is this common and will it clear up with practice?

[J_9]

This may have to do with an equilibrium imbalance from your accident. Only your doctor can tell you if it will clear up. He will have to do a physical to see if that is possible.

I understand you wanting to keep up with your 6 year old, as I have a 4 year old. However, maybe you should not do backward somersaults and maybe only do forward somersaults.

Just a thought.

[bhayne]

Well, it's actually part of Judo practice. I really do believe that learning to fall and learning to defend is beneficial.

Of course, learning to fall forward (as in forward shoulder rolls) is only half the challenge. You also need to learn to fall backward!

[J_9]

Ah, I see, you did not mention Judo in your first post!!

There may be something your doc can give you to help the imbalance.

How long have you been doing this? It may be something that you can get used to. Best to check with an ENT doc though.

[bhayne]

I was a very active competitor when I was young (12-16). Then I moved. Then after my accident I went back to university and continued Judo to get back into shape. I don't remember this problem but we may not have done backwards shoulder rolls. When I went back to school I was very aggressive so even if I did get dizzy, I would have shrugged it off as another challenge.

Now, after 18 years of desk work, I go with my daughter. Feels like I've been doing this for a hundred years. Dissapointingly, yesterday was only the third practice!

[jgj6331]

You mentioned that you had a brain injury - did it also involve skull fractures? Fractures of the temporal bone may extend into the inner ear and adversely affect the semicircular canals (a major part of your balance system) or it may damage the 8th cranial nerve (which has components for both hearing and balance). In that you experience them only during backward flips is suspicious for an abnormality in the semicircular canals. In the canals - which have vertical, horizontal and oblique components - there are otoliths (tiny "stones") suspended in a fluid. These otoliths rest on tiny hair cells and are sensitive to gravity. When you move your head, the 'stones' shift and different hair cells are excited to help you maintain a sense of position (known as proprioception). The otoliths can become displaced and could certainly cause dizziness (known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). Treatment may be as simple as a series of physical maneuvers and exercises that will help reposition the otoliths. This needs to be performed under the supervision of a physician.

Do you have any hearing loss? This may indicate you've had 8th cranial nerve damage. Injuries to the back of your head - where the cerebellum resides - can also lead to balance problems.

There are several tests that can help define the origin of your vertigo - and several treatment options as well. You may want to seek consultations with an ENT specialist and possibly a neurologist.

[bhayne]

It was a closed head injury. No fractures. Actually, my hearing and smell were my senses that did not suffer. I used to have pins and needles feeling for awhile. No longer though. My sight suffers when I am cold or fatigued.

My balance suffered to the point where I had to relearn to walk (that only took a couple of months). However, learning to walk without a limp took about 10 years. When I am very tired I walk like I am drunk (luckily it doesn't affect my driving! ). I also wear the heals out on my shoes quite quickly (shoes last about 2-3 months, tops).

I believe that I'm getting better after my 4th Judo session which leads me to believe that I can overcome the issue with practice.