Sudden Loss of Balance?

[Guest guest]

I have a client who has an intermittent problem with her balance. One

moment she is standing quite normally when suddenly she loses her

balance and generally falls over - it looks as if her muscles have

just switched off. She is in her late 50s and has suffered from back

pain for many years now. This problem appears to have got worse after

using a TENS machine for a few months - she doesn't know if this is a

factor but the two coincide.

Does anyone have any ideas what may be the problem? Vertigo has been

ruled out.

[There is not just one type of vertigo. Has she been examined for vestibular

problems by a neurologist? There are certain disorders like Meniere's Syndrome

and BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) that can also suddenly surface

and cause dramatic loss of balance, especially if one moves the head. There are

more serious central nervous reasons for sudden loss of motor function and all

of these

require examination by an experienced neurologist, not simply a general

practitioner.

Mel Siff]

Roy Palmer

Bedford

UK

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