what helped me heal my vestibular migraines + vestibular neuritis

If you're reading this post then I'm just going to assume that you've been in the chaotic storm that is vestibular somethings (my term to encompass the broadness of vestibular conditions). If you’ve read my books or followed my journey on YouTube, then you know I care much more about healing and fueling health than any label.

That being said, there are many different labels and symptoms when it comes to vestibular somethings: vestibular neuritis, vestibular migraines, migraine associated vertigo, persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD), cervicogenic dizziness, Meniere’s disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Mal de Débarquement…to name a few. I am not an expert by any means in these conditions. I had several of these labels thrown at me by doctors and I’m grateful for the support; however, my journey has been much more self-guided. I've now come to believe that there are probably many labels that could have been thrown my way depending on the doctor I saw. Also, the fact that I was three months postpartum when my vestibular something hit was certainly was a factor. There was a lot going on and that's why I will forever refer to it all as my "vestibular something".

I was entirely unwilling to accept that a vestibular something was my destiny. I believe that the body is meant to heal and thrive. I don't believe in overnight quick fixes and I know that healing can take time. It certainly did in my case and supporting health through a nourishing diet and lifestyle medicine is part of my everyday life.

I don’t want another Vestibular Warrior to think that they need a definitive label in order to support healing. Embracing a nourishing whole foods, plant-powered diet, making lifestyle shifts (for me, using pure plant essential oils and other holistic support), going to therapy, exploring healing approaches like nutrition response testing and morphogenic field technique… none of it required a vestibular migraine (or other vestibular something) diagnosis. It just required the longing to feel better and then taking steps to move forward.

It required focusing on the root cause, getting support to do so and a deep belief in healing. None of this just happened for me. It took me being incredibly intentional on my healing journey, trudging through setbacks, feeling broken, rebuilding my confidence, and fueling health every day along the way.

I'm sharing this post because I want you to know that you have the power to make big beautiful progress regardless of where you are with your vestibular something. I want you to know that you are not alone. Even if no one in your life understands your vestibular something. Even if a doctor has told you “it’s just anxiety” and your friend is tired of hearing you “complain” about it. Even if you feel like you can’t form the words to describe how it feels. There is a community of people who understand you completely. No words necessary.

You are heard.

So what took me from 24/7 soul-crushing vestibular migraine symptoms to finding my grounded state and thriving? I'm so grateful to share that with you. At the very least, I hope by sharing my experience that it sparks a light inside you to keep support healing, make turns, relentlessly hike through setbacks, move forward and most importantly, BELIEVE in life beyond your vestibular something.

I'm rooting for you.

food as medicine

At the beginning of my vestibular something, one of the first things I looked at was how I was eating.

Our food choices have the power to make huge shifts in our bodies and our world. Eliminating the junky foods (refined sugar, vegetable oils, ultra processed foods, and gluten in my case) and embracing a wholesome plant-forward diet gives the body the opportunity to free itself of a toxic weight, both emotionally and physically, and, as a result, it can support itself in healing and flourishing. My body (and yours, by the way) is meant to find its blissful balance, but environmental factors, stress, toxins, and lifestyle can throw things out of whack. We lose our balance.

Ditching refined sugar was hard at first because my diet consisted of quite a bit of it. It was totally worth it though. I now rely on much happier sweeteners like coconut sugar, pure maple syrup and raw honey.

Focusing on eating mainly whole foods took time. I wasn't perfect about it, but since 2016 it has been such a beautiful journey. I went back to school for holistic nutrition (to support healing myself) and found new life in the kitchen. I believe in a whole foods, plant-powered diet with everything that makes up my being. I have uncovered the bliss that comes with fueling my wellness with lots of plant foods. It gave me the energy and capacity to pull myself up out of the vestibular darkness and keep trudging forward. And then, in time, find myself... and now help others (like you).

root cause healing: not just masking symptoms

I had several appointments with doctors practicing western medicine and sought out doctors of an alternative approach. General practitioners, neurologists, ear nose and throat specialists, physical therapists, chiropractors, a naturopath, a holistic practitioner, a functional neurologist... There are a few that deserve to be recognized and without them I certainly would have had a lot less hope and would have felt much more alone in the vestibular avalanche. Although it’s a piece to my story, I find the need to emphasize how personal of a journey this is. The doctors that I saw were a stepping stone for me to get across the river. I am so thankful for the ones that were willing to help me and worked to uncover the root cause. The doctors that had no help to offer, I’m thankful for them too, because they sparked my fire to figure it out for myself. They solidified my fierce mission to recreate my wellness.

In the first six months, I started going to a chiropractor that specialized in craniosacral work. [A note on craniosacral work- Lauren Roxburgh, an A-list bodyworker and wellness expert states in her book The Power Source: “…craniosacral work is actually far more effective when it comes to stress release, because it deals directly with the nervous system, which is the root of all tension and knots. Craniosacral work looks at the body as an energetic entity, decongesting stuck energy and bringing your nervous system into a more relaxed parasympathetic state.”] The first time that I lied on the chiropractic table, the doctor asked how I was feeling. I told her it felt as if I was in water, just floating away. I think she felt my desperation. She started me on some supplements and told me to cut out gluten. I went to appointments three days each week for several months.

The holistic practitioner/nutritionist I worked with in the first six months is the one who looked at me as a person and genuinely wanted to help me heal. Labels and diagnoses didn’t matter. The greatest gift that I received was that my symptoms were not being questioned. I was able to feel understood and that alone was powerful. This was about deep mind and body healing. He tapped into the emotional side of the condition. The way that past experiences were a part of it. What I was experiencing was made of so many facets and tapping into the deep-rooted emotional component felt like a blessing. He helped me see life beyond the vestibular stuff while also showing me that I had the power to act. After each appointment I’d leave with a bag of herbal supplements to take and exercises to perform over the next few weeks. (Note: My holistic doctor did Nutritional Response Testing and Neuro-Emotional Technique and also was a chiropractor. I later began Morphogenic Field Technique to further my healing.)

I highly recommend working with a holistic practitioner and/or Chinese medicine doctor that looks at what is really happening in your body. Is there an environmental issue? Viral load issue? Nutritional deficiency? Structural component? These things are really important to address and western medicine very often overlooks all of it. Remember, the goal is to address the root issue of what's happening in your body to cause your symptoms.

In my case, there was a viral/toxin issue and through diet, lifestyle medicine and holistic modalities I worked to heal it. Again, this takes time.

[Note: There was a period of time that I took a migraine-preventive medication. We're all so different, so I could never give any sort of recommendation on medication. I looked at medication as a Band-Aid in the storm. I share my journey/my why in this video and why I ultimately decided to wean off of it and go deeper with healing the root cause. The year that I weaned off the medication slowly, I dove whole-heartedly into healing the root cause. I also worked extensively with a holistic practitioner to heal from being on the medication. P.S. You can work with us now too to support healing the root cause.]

RETRAINING MY BRAIN

In the early weeks upon Googling my symptoms I landed on a number of YouTube videos of people performing exercises (Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy) to basically retrain their bodies after a vestibular condition hit. Similar exercises were given to me from my physical therapist. Although I could act normal on the outside, inside I felt terrifyingly off kilter, unbalanced, disconnected from my body and as if I was floating. Always floating. I was still in a bit of denial that what happened to those people on the internet had happened to me, but I decided to give the exercises a fair shot.

Looking back, I can very clearly see that the fact that I pushed through my normal life from the beginning (minus the first week) helped me tremendously. It saved me on many levels. Going through life became my own personal version of vestibular rehabilitation therapy. It was taxing and intense going through the motions of my life, which involved going to work (in a corporate environment), grocery shopping, going out in the world, keeping up with my baby and toddler... (Note: This is not what I'm saying another Vestibular Warrior should do, but rather how it went in my case.)

I heard Kait Hurley speak on a podcast about her move + meditate method. I was intrigued and dove right in. Coming out of a particularly awful period with the vestibular stuff, I needed to get my mind in a different space and I longed to feel the high from working out. Before work I’d wake up and go right to my family room for a move + meditate session. Some days I’d wobble through every single move. It was not easy. I felt entirely ungrounded and unstable but over weeks, and months, of consistently committing to the workouts, I started to feel amazing (not completely symptom free but progress was made). When the anxiousness was painting my body, I sat in the meditation and let it flow. I no longer tried to ignore it but said a bold hello to it. Letting it know that I was here, and it was no longer boss.

Another component was learning about neuroplasticity. So much of the vestibular stuff happens within our inner being. Neuroplasticity, and more specifically, Dr. Joe Dispenza’s books have taught me that the brain doesn’t know the difference between what is happening in our external world versus the reality happening in our mind. Therefore, the most important piece of my essence became my state of being. My state of being created my circumstances and not the other way around. Meaning, my vestibular something was not creating my reality. For a while it absolutely felt like my vestibular something was dictating my reality, completely controlling me, and setting the stage for my life and I was just an actor playing the part. It would take time for me to learn that this surely wasn’t the case, at least not completely.

I highly recommend the book Becoming Supernatural (I love the audio version) or really of any of Dr. Joe Dispenza's books and meditations.

Shifting my focus opened my heart. Sometimes we need to just be with what’s happening, but I learned that the function of our nervous system is to learn. Learning only helps the nervous system become more trainable. It opens the doors for healing.

belief in healing

We must believe that we can make an impact on our health and then take the steps to make it happen, often on an unfamiliar path.

If you are someone lost in a vestibular something, migraine abyss or parallel health crisis, my heart goes out to you. Please know that you are not alone on the trail and there is a community of people fighting to take back their health and live an abundant life. There may be parts of my story that you understand completely because you’ve been on a similar path. You may have had moments when you felt so out of control of what was happening to your mind and body that you felt entirely powerless. However, what I hope that you’ve discovered is that you are not defenseless. You are magnificent. I know this because just the fact that you're reading this means you care big. I believe that there is a world of opportunity to support our health and I will continue to explore and learn, and I hope that you’ll join me.

​My wish is that your soul is ignited to campaign for your health as you navigate the bumpy trail, because you are helping not only yourself but so many others along the way.