Anew Approach to Motion Sickness: Rebalancing Your Brain for Relief
Motion sickness is a frustrating and debilitating condition that many people experience when exposed to motion, whether it’s in a car, on a boat, or in a virtual reality environment. This nausea, dizziness, and lightheadedness are often caused by a conflict between the sensory information the brain receives from different systems. But there’s good news: a specialized treatment approach, functional neurology, offers a unique way to address the root causes of motion sickness and improve overall brain function. By focusing on the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems, functional neurology can help retrain the brain and reduce motion sickness symptoms over time.
The Three Key Systems Involved in Motion Sickness
To understand how functional neurology works, let’s first look at the three primary systems responsible for our perception of space:
The Visual System: Our eyes provide crucial information about our environment and position. When motion sickness occurs, it often results from conflicting signals between what we see and what our other systems (like our inner ear or muscles) are telling us. For example, when traveling by car, your eyes might see the passing scenery, but your inner ear (vestibular system) senses that you’re stationary. This mismatch causes confusion in the brain, leading to dizziness and nausea.
The Vestibular System: Located in the inner ear, the vestibular system is responsible for detecting motion and maintaining balance. It sends signals to the brain about changes in head position, acceleration, and movement. When there’s a disruption in this system, such as from an injury or chronic inflammation, the brain can struggle to correctly interpret movement, leading to symptoms of vertigo and motion sickness.
The Proprioceptive System: This system provides feedback from muscles, tendons, and joints to help us understand where our body is in space. Proprioception is vital for coordination and balance, and when this system is not functioning properly, it can add to the confusion that causes motion sickness.
How Functional Neurology Addresses Motion Sickness
Functional neurology focuses on the assessment and rehabilitation of these three systems. By addressing dysfunction in any of these areas, functional neurology can help reduce or eliminate symptoms of motion sickness, as well as improve overall brain function and coordination.
The first step in the process is a thorough neurological and physical assessment. At a functional neurology clinic, patients undergo a detailed consultation that includes an in-depth history, neurological exam, and diagnostic tests. This helps the doctor pinpoint exactly where dysfunction may exist in the visual, vestibular, or proprioceptive systems.
Rehabilitation of the Visual System
In functional neurology, rehabilitation of the visual system often involves gradual exposure to motion and visual tasks that help the brain recalibrate how it processes visual information. Exercises can include tracking moving objects, focusing on stationary points during motion, or using virtual reality tools to simulate motion in a controlled environment. Over time, this helps the brain adjust to conflicting visual and sensory inputs and reduces the likelihood of motion sickness.
Rehabilitation of the Vestibular System
The vestibular system plays a central role in motion sickness, as it’s responsible for detecting changes in head position and movement. A functional neurologist will often use specialized vestibular rehabilitation exercises to improve the brain’s ability to process and interpret signals from the inner ear. This may include head movements, balance exercises, and habituation training to help the vestibular system become less sensitive to motion.
One of the most effective treatments is habituation, which involves exposing the patient to controlled, repeated motion in a way that desensitizes the vestibular system over time. This can reduce the severity of motion sickness and improve balance and spatial orientation.
Rehabilitation of the Proprioceptive System
Proprioception plays a crucial role in helping the brain understand body position and maintain balance. In functional neurology, exercises that improve proprioception often involve balance training and coordination drills. These can include activities like standing on one leg, balancing on a wobble board, or performing dynamic movements that challenge the body’s sense of space. Strengthening proprioception helps the brain integrate sensory information more effectively, reducing the sensory conflict that leads to motion sickness.
Treatment Plans Tailored to Your Needs
Functional neurology uses non-invasive techniques to assess and treat dysfunction in these systems. The clinic’s approach includes a range of treatment options designed to meet each patient’s needs. Depending on the severity of the symptoms and the specific underlying dysfunction, treatment options may include:
Intensive Treatment Plan
This involves a week of concentrated treatment, with sessions four times per day for five days. During this time, the patient will undergo a series of neurological and rehabilitative treatments designed to address dysfunction in the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. After the intensive week, the patient will be sent home with a set of exercises to continue improving at home.Daily Treatment Plan
For patients who prefer a more gradual approach, the daily treatment plan involves visiting the clinic three times per week for four weeks. Each session focuses on improving the functioning of the three systems involved in motion sickness, and the patient is re-evaluated at the end of the plan to track progress and make adjustments as necessary.Home Program
After the initial treatment plan, patients are given a customized home exercise program to continue their progress. This allows them to practice and strengthen the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems at home, ensuring long-term results.
Ongoing Support and Follow-Up
One of the key components of functional neurology is the ongoing support provided to patients. After completing an intensive treatment plan or daily sessions, patients will receive a post-treatment evaluation to assess progress. If needed, follow-up visits can be scheduled (either in person or virtually) to adjust the home program and ensure continued improvement.
How Functional Neurology Can Help You Overcome Motion Sickness
For individuals who suffer from motion sickness, functional neurology offers a comprehensive, holistic approach that addresses the root causes of the condition. By improving the functioning of the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems, functional neurology can help the brain process sensory information more effectively, reducing the sensory conflicts that lead to motion sickness.
If you’ve been struggling with dizziness, vertigo, or motion sickness, functional neurology might be the key to finding long-term relief. Whether through intensive treatments or gradual, home-based exercises, this approach offers the tools needed to retrain your brain and reduce the discomfort of motion sickness.
To learn more or to schedule a consultation, reach out to a functional neurology clinic near you and begin your journey toward better balance, coordination, and motion tolerance today.
References:
Hain, T. C., & Pearlman, E. (2012). The vestibular system and its disorders. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 12(6), 521-527.
Grosjean, S., et al. (2020). Functional neurology: A new model for treating brain-based disorders. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 71, 92-98.
Demer, J. L., & Leigh, R. J. (2011). Motion sickness: From physiology to treatment. CNS Spectrums, 16(4), 155-162.
Borenstein, M. T., et al. (2004). Chronic inflammation and motion sickness: An overlooked cause of vestibular dysfunction. The Journal of Vestibular Research, 14(5), 229-234.
Cohen, J. A., et al. (2015). Proprioception and balance training: Rehabilitation strategies for managing motion sickness. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 52(6), 655-668.