Dysautonomia & POTS Physio
Dysautonomia – the invisible illness
Dsyautono… whatsy? You’d be forgiven thinking it’s a type of dinosaur or something from a spacecraft!
No this is an illness that many people including your GP understand very little about it. We need to create more awareness about this illness as so more people don’t fall into the trap that many of my patients have. That is being gas light into believing that they are depressed or that it’s just something that they have to put up with.
I’m here to tell you that Dysautonomia is a very real illness and you can find ways to help your symptoms and live a near-normal life. How do I know this? I had these symptoms for years and had no idea what was going on. I have been to those doctors who told me that I was just a little depressed and others that ran all the tests, and when nothing came back, they put me in the too-hard basket. Other Doctors have mentioned chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome but nothing fits all my symptoms.
What is Dysautonomia?
This an umbrella term that basically means a dysfunction with your autonomic nervous system. A common form of Dysautonomia is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS for short.
To understand the illness, you need to know about your Autonomic Nervous
System or ANS for short.
Your ANS and what it does?
Your ANS controls all the functions of your body that you don’t think about, such as heart rate and blood pressure, digestion, kidney function and temperature control to name just a few. When you have a dysfunction of you ANS you have issues with regulating these automated systems which can lead to your long list of symptoms or just a few such as dizziness, heart palpitations and stomach issues.
Image credit: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2012.00071/full
Symptoms
You may have all of the symptoms or only as few and they can cycle and vary in intensity depending on other factors such as how well you slept or whether you have eaten well.
- Difficulty staying upright
- Dizzines
- Vertigo
- Fainting
- Diarrhoea
- Appetite swings
- Nausea
- Focus/concertation issues
- Disorientation
- Poor Memory
- Fast or slow heart beat
- Irregular heart beat
- Low Blood Pressure
- Chest pain
- Weakness
- Exercise intolerance
- Muscle aches and cramps
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Inability to relax
- Mood Swings
- Migraines
- Tremours
- Dilated pupils
- Red eyes
- Sleep Issues
- Difficulty breathing
- Respiratory issues
- Temperature regulation issues
Dysautonomia can be caused by other comorbidities such as some of those below.
- Diabetes
- Celiac Disease
- Crohn’s Disease
- Lyme Disease
- Pregnacy
- Ulcerative colitis
- Mast Cell Disorder
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Surgery
- COVID infecion
- Sjogren’s Disease
- Physical trauma
- Head Trauma/concussion
- Vitamin Deficencies
- Mitochondrial Disease
It is estimated that 70 Million people worldwide are living with one form of dysautonomia. Even with this high prevalence of ANS dysfunction in the community it can still take people years to get diagnosed and sometimes even longer to find someone with some knowledge of current treatment recommendations.
Is there a cure for Dysautonomia?
Currently there is no cure for dysautonomia. Doctors as still trying to piece together the underlying cause. What can you do about? Wait and hope that somebody finds a cure? Hope that research in long COVID will help find the solution?
What you can try for yourself
There are some things that you can go that may help your symptoms.
- Increase your fluid intake to increase you blood volume
- Increase your salt intake to increase your blood pressure if its on the low side
- Compression garments can help improve venous return from you lower limb
- Graded exercise program as tolerated
There is a new hypothesis emerging in the literature about the role of a biomechanical deformity on the spinal canal altering the autonomic function. That is to say that some sort of load on the spinal cord anywhere from the brain stem to T6 could be causing your autonomic symptoms. Others believe that it is irritation or damage to the Vagus nerve somewhere along its pathway from the brainstem to the stomach.
Treatment
Here at Inline Physio we use the DMA Clinical Pilates method of treating Dysautonomia with patients reporting good results. We carefully select exercises for you specifically and monitor there effect on your system. Everyone is unique and your exercises are tailored to you down to how much you move and the position of your head. The majority of your exercises will be performed in a supine position and from there we gradually increase the load as your body and nervous system can tolerate it.
Time Frames
Treatment is slow and varies depending on the severity of your symptoms. There are often immediate changes that can be recognised within a session but may take weeks to months to see changes in how much you can do and tolerated in your daily life.
If you would like to see if our approach is right for you, please contact our friendly admin staff and let them know that you would like a Dysautonomia Assessment with our experienced physiotherapists.
We look forward to helping you on this difficult journey to recovery.
Tracey Lane (Moorooka Clinic)
Senior Physiotherapist and Dysautonomia Physio
FAQs
Do I need a referral?
No. A referral is not necessary to assess and treat you for private patients. If you are a DVA client, we do require a referral from your doctor outlining your presenting problem. If you are eligible for an EPC Program, a referral from your doctor is required.
How long does an appointment take?
Usually appointments take 30-45 minutes; this may be slightly longer depending on your problem.
Can I specifically request a male or female Physiotherapist?
Yes. Just let one of our friendly Samford Physio reception staff know your preference when you are making an appointment and they will be happy to help you find an appropriate time with the Physiotherapist of your choice.
What do I need to bring to my appointment?
You should wear clothing that your feel comfortable in and allows your Physiotherapist to properly assess your injury (eg. if you have a knee injury, it is best to wear shorts or pants that roll up easily). If you have had any imaging done prior to your appointment (X-Rays, MRIs etc), it can help your Physiotherapist if you bring these reports along as well. If you have any other information that you think might help your Physiotherapist assess and treat your condition, feel free to bring it along also.
Is Physiotherapy treatment covered by my private health insurance?
Yes. If you have extras cover for Physiotherapy, each consultation is can be claimed immediately on site, so you will only be out of pocket the gap between the amount paid by the health fund and the total cost of the treatment. The gap payable will depend on your health fund and your level of cover.
We accept all health funds, for all types of treatment. Depending on your private health cover, gap payments will vary, as will what treatments you are covered for.
If you need clarification, just ask when you make your appointment.
If you have any other questions, please contact us![/vc_column_text][/vc_column]