I wanted to ask if anyone has dealt with this same issue before and if they have found a way to overcome it. My Avm affected my left body. When I walk, I notice I use my right leg more to balance. This has caused my right leg to always feel tense now. Even when sit or lay down I feel like I am standing on my leg still.. Any advice?
Hi, Deagles,
I had the same thing - weakness on my left side. Yoga, lots of gentle (but consistent) stretching, pilates, and paying strict attention to my physical therapy exercises did a whole lot of good for me. I'm a dancer, so my physical condition is critical to me. My ability to balance well, my coordination, and the ability to execute complex movements using fine tuned control and make them look easy is vital. I did a lot of ballet as physical therapy, pinpointed where my problems were, and worked those muscle groups relentlessly.
Compensating for weakness on one side can strain the strong side and you can end up injuring your strong side - I highly recommend yoga and pilates. Find a certified teacher in both, and tell them what your particular issues are.
It would also help to check in with a neurologist who specializes in stroke recovery (because that's the closest thing to the symptoms you and I both experienced) and can refer you to a rehab specialist who deals mostly with stroke survivors.
Good luck!
I agree with Shirasaya. I have seen meny members improve with yoga! Even years after a bleed…people have improved! Also, I have seen a few improve with acupuncture. Do not ever give up!
I am seeing a neurologist in Jan so I will definitely bring it up with him. My wife will be happy to know that I will be taking yoga classes now, She has also brought up acupuncture but I am somewhat afraid of that haha.
Deagles -
For someone who's weathered living with an AVM and the treatments (even just diagnostic tools used to map the AVM!) acupuncture would be a piece of cake!! No one likes the sound of "so we're going to stick a whole bunch of needles into you...." but honestly, acupuncture needles are not like needles they use to give you an injection, draw blood, or start an I.V. They're incredibly thin, which means it's not at all like sticking yourself with a pin or getting a shot.
I went in for a nerve conductivity test and read beforehand that they stick a bunch of needles into you in different places to hit the nerves and then measure electrical current in the nerves, and let me tell you, I was so nervous I damn near passed out sitting on the table! Turns out, the needles they used were so very tiny I could barely feel them. So not a big deal. Google "does acupuncture hurt" and then go talk to someone who does acupuncture before deciding it's not something you want to consider.
And yay for yoga!