My father used to suffer from Meniere’s. It started in the 1990’s, and may have been related to the beginning of his hearing loss disabilities. Dad was in his mid-60s / early 70’s. The symptoms were VERY debilitating with rapid eye wavering, severe vertigo dizziness, and an inability to keep his balance.
In 2005, I researched and developed a proprietary combo of therapeutic essential oils that support nerve health and are anti-viral. This article is about my father’s experience, since he’s SO pleased with the results.
The StandingTall™ blend is available from our on-line store: www.GaiasPharmacopeia.com For ease of use, we have pre-diluted the blend to a 20% concentration. For chronic health issues, diluted essential oils blends are often more effective in supporting our bodies’ healing process.
USAGE SUGGESTIONS:
~ Apply daily upon arising & at bedtime, 1-2 drops to pads of big TOES / THUMBS / BASE of SKULL
(brainstem).
~ For symptomatic relief – Inhale deeply for 1-2 minutes, apply 1-3 drops on TEMPLES / BASE of SKULL
One of the health-supporting effects of using therapeutic-quality essential oils are they’re ability to oxygenate our cells. Dr. Joseph Serpe’s Neuro-Institute site also discusses the importance of Oxygen Therapy, which they use to treat patients suffering with Meniere’s Disease, and dizziness from BPPV: “Oxygen is fuel for the brain and nervous system and is important for the health and recovery of the cerebellum.”
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Easy, Self-Help Hand Holds Support the Body’s Nervous System
Along with applying the therapeutic essential oils, use these easy, self-help, Hand Holds – on your tailbone & at the base of your skull – combined with deep, relaxed breathing. According to Acupressure / Jin Shin Jyutsu / Chinese medicine, etc. the breath drives the body’s energy flow through the energy meridians.
HOLD until you feel pulses (like a subtle heartbeat), matching in intensity & rhythm. If you can’t feel the pulses, holding the position 3-5 minutes will help anyway.
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Doing Heal Thumps Daily May Improve Your Balance
One of my Chinese Tai Chi teachers also recommends doing “Heel Thumps” daily to improve your balance. An article on WilsonEar’s website states “In over 90% of cases of Meniere’s Disease, a weak cerebellum is why you still have balance problems, dizziness, vertigo and nausea.” This Heel Thumps technique stimulates and strengthens our primitive brain, the cerebellum.
Animation of dislocated inner ear ‘crystals’
The following Heel Thumps technique may also settle inner ear debris or otoconia crystals that form as we age.
~ Wear athletic shoes to cushion your feet.
~ Hold onto a wall or sturdy (heavy) piece of furniture.
~ Rise up on the balls of your feet and “thump” down onto your heels (not too hard), so your whole body jiggles a bit from the impact. This stimulates the balance center in the primitive brain.
~ Do them morning & evening, 20 thumps per session, for 3-6 months to see if you notice an improvement.
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Great Results! Simple Daily Routines Eliminated Dizziness
~ My Dad applied Standing Tall™ faithfully per the usage suggestions above.
For the past 2-3 years, he’s changed his routine to only inhaling the oils deeply instead of applying them to his neck.
~ He did the Heel Thumps daily along with the oils application…and now in his late 80’s continues to do them.
Before starting these self-help practices, he walked like a ‘boat at sea’ with a rolling, listing quality that made me nervous to watch, fearful he might trip and fall, especially on the steep, straight, 16-step flight of stairs to his basement office.
The difference in his balance and steadiness while walking & using stairs was dramatically improved, after only a year, when I was able to visit him next. His bouts of severe eye rolling and vertigo have completely ceased and he hasn’t suffered a recurrence in years.
Hope some of these ideas help relieve YOUR dizziness!
RESOURCES:
Animated Otoconia GIF from Northwestern University,my mother’s Alma mater: http://www.northwestern.edu
Read more on Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv.html
Read more on Meniere’s Disease http://www.wilsonear.com/education/balance/menieresdisease.html
Read more on other therapies at Dr. Joseph Serpe’s Neuro-Institute’s site: http://napervillebbt.com/menieres-disease-2
25 thoughts on “Meniere’s, Vertigo & Dizziness: Essential Oils & Heel Thumps Offer Remarkable Relief!”
I would like to know what oils are in Standing Tall before I use it on my body. Thank You.
Hi Tonia ~ Standing Tall™ is a 100% pure therapeutic essential oil blend of 3 different citrus oils with ginger essential oil, all of which support nerve health. It may be diluted to a 20% strength (1 drop Standing Tall™ + 4 drops jojoba) per application to make the oils last longer.
Citrus oils can cause skin issues when exposed to sunlight, so I suggest folks apply Standing Tall™ in the evening and on the organ vita-flex points of the palms & soles, where the skin is less sensitive. It also may be used by inhaling deeply from the bottle. These instructions come along with every purchase. Thanks for your interest.
Cynthe,
I’m reading this article you have on dizziness and wonder what the other oils are in addition to ginger. I use YL oils and hope I have the other citrus oils on hand.
Hi Pam ~ Thanks for stopping by to make a comment. Standing Tall™ is a proprietary recipe I researched and developed based on my clinical aromatherapy training and intuitive guidance. I formulate bottles of the blend when a customer makes a purchase. If you want to experiment on your own, use the ginger and whatever citrus oils you are drawn to along with the exercises I suggest in the article.
I just purchased a bottle of Standing Tall, but did not receive any instructions with the bottle. Can you send it to me. Thanks, and are there any testimonials.
Diane ~ I’ve just sent you two emails. One was Wednesday’s shipping notice that had gone awry. It has a PDF of usage suggestions. If you don’t receive the email or PDF, please let me know and I’ll send it again.
Wish folks would post their comments and experiences right here for folks to read! I do have a couple of recent email TESTIMONIALS:
6-4-2014 “I used it last week when I had a BPPV episode and was relieved and pleased that the symptoms only lasted a day instead of the usual 5/6 days. So it worked really well, and I shall certainly order it again. Thanks” ~ Gill (United Kingdom)
5-12-2014 “I’m doing well! My ear still hums a bit, but NO vertigo so, I’m not changing a thing, haha! Thanks for checking in!” ~ Kellie (Maine USA)
Hi cerebellar degeneration runs in my family would standing tall slow progression of this disease?
Hannah ~ Thanks for your inquiry. What do your family members’ doctor(s) say causes the cerebellar degeneration? How many family members have come down with the disease? What are the early symptoms? Progressed symptoms?
hi,
this is Susan…I would like to know if there are any oils that would help my walking balance as was born deaf..Can hear had cochlear implant in one ear since 1998…hearing has something to do with balance and afraid to jump in boat to take off…climbing stairs…walking in dark…afraid of falling…I am 53 yrs old and no one believes me at my age like am 40. Is there anything that can help where I can get myself more motivated around…I loved going walking and but balance just not too good. hope there are some answers to help with it. was wondering if Standing Tall would do the trick. please let me know and will be greatly appreciated it…Thank you!
Susan
Hi Susan ~ Interesting you would write as I was thinking Thursday evening about how hearing loss and balance issues are related. We have a classmate at our Tai Chi class, who is also hard of hearing (total loss) due to severe illness when he was 8 years old. And his balance is poor. Can’t stand on one foot for longer than a brief few seconds.
Do you have any idea why your hearing was damaged in utero? Fascinating that the cochlear implant has helped your balance. Does that mean your auditory nerve is functioning? Standing Tall™ is especially effective where there is or has been damage due to viral infection (which I suspect is the cause of a lot of vertigo and dizziness). If you want to fill me in on your Health History for a personal ‘Aromatherapy For You‘ consultation, I would be happy to do more research on essential oils that may assist you specifically.
In the meantime, a simple exercise ‘Heel Thumps’ done am/pm may help your balance improve noticeably if you do it as part of your daily routine. It’s mentioned in this article near the image of the lady pulling on her shoe (with a brain illustration in the background). Be patient and stick with it…to effect the health and function of your brain.
How is your vision? Vision is a huge component for good balance. Both my husband and I notice our balance gets shaky if we try to do Tai Chi with our eyes closed.
Also, if you can find an adults beginner class for Yang-style Tai Chi in your area, I would highly recommend you take it. Plan to do the class for at least a year. Our current teacher has a number of students, mainly over 50, with balance issues and they all notice an improvement.
Consider buying yourself a beautiful elegant walking stick / cane to use until you balance and confidence improve. Both of my very elderly parents (89/90) had them and enjoyed the compliments they received, until they graduated to walkers more recently.
Please let us know if any of these suggestions end up helping!
Cynthe, I have taken Dramamine daily for 25 years because if I dont I am throwing up. 25 years ago I went to several doctors, 5 ENTs, ct scan and other tests. Went to the Kansas city ear institute and still was not able to find out the problem. At that point I started taking Dramamine so I could function. If I take it, normally I’m ok. I had cataracts taken off both eyes about a month ago and they put in mono vision lenses. The last week I’ve had lots of dizziness again ( no room spinning dizziness) but just fell car sick and have thrown up several evenings. My sister has the same problems, But hers is not daily like mine is. She can go sometime without having vertigo, and then just bend over in the car to get something off the floor and be sick for a week in bed.as you know with anyone suffering from vertigo or dizziness problems it is very frustrating. I have recently began to use essential oils,but have not found anything as of yet that has helped. I put Ginger on the back of my ears one night and the room was spinning out of control, so I don’t want to use ginger again. Have you heard of these kind ofproblems before? I know there are many many different causes and types of vertigo and dizziness. I search and search on the Internet to find answers.this is the first time I have heard anything about this type of therapy. Just wondering if you have heard of this before.
Susan ~ Oh, goodness! You have really been suffering. I am curious to know, do you have ANY idea what may have triggered the vertigo 25 years ago? Did you have a fall, an auto accident, an illness? Do you have any damage to your neck vertebrae? I ask because the vegas, a major nerve that connects all our internal organs (like the stomach), often causes severe nausea if the neck has a structural issue.
It’s also curious that your sister suffers from vertigo, too. Do you live in the same geographic area? Did her symptoms begin around the time yours did? Or around the same age as yours did? I’m wondering if there may be an environmental toxin (pesticides, chemicals, fertilizers, illness, etc.) that you both may have been exposed to that’s triggering these symptoms?
Everybody’s situation is a bit different, but I will say I’m shocked at how many folks are suffering with vertigo!! I receive emails and comments from all over north America almost every week from someone struggling with these issues.
My ears filled up in May and I went on anibotics. Two days later the ringing started. I have Meniere’s symptoms only I have nausea not vertigo. I went to chiropractor after the nausea started to correct neck. I get attacks were the ringing starts, then my feet tingle, and then the nausea gets severe. Do you know if standing tall works on nausea or just vertigo.
Hi Jensine ~ No, I don’t know for sure as none of our other customers have had these particular symptoms. Did the neck adjustments help? You could also consider trying acupuncture.
StandingTall is strongly anti-viral (what I suspect causes the symptoms) and is very supportive of nerves. Interesting that your feet tingle after the ear ringing starts….could be some nervous symptom involvement. Nausea may be caused by many different factors: infection, disease, balance issues, and nerve irritation especially of the vagus nerve that runs from the brain, near the ear, through the neck down to all the major internal organs including the stomach.
Hello Cynthe, I read with much interest on how this blend of oils helped your father significantly. I was wondering though, did he have hearing loss? which sadly is a part of meniere’s and if so did the blend of oils help restore any lost hearing?
Hi Kumal ~ Yes, my father does have hearing loss…fairly profound. At times, it seemed his hearing was better, even returning to his ‘bad’ ear, after beginning to use the essential oils blend I formulated. Though it wasn’t specifically formulated for that purpose. I have read that hearing has been improved or restored in some folks using essential oils.
Also, weather affects his hearing devices. Low pressure systems make it much harder for him to hear clearly. This was confirmed by his ear doctor after I mentioned it to my father during one of our visits.
My main concern was the stopping the horrible attacks where his eyes would spasm wildly, vibrating left-to-right at rapid speed, causing nausea, and the inability to stand. Those attacks ceased almost immediately and have not returned. The other major concern was his wobbly unstable walk due to balance issues. That also improved remarkably in combination with the exercises mentioned in the article. He still has problems and has taken two fairly hard falls in the past three years. Fortunately, only bruised and no broken bones!!
I was diagnosed with Meniere’s about 6 months ago. My main problem is what feels like fluid in my ears and like I’m in an elevator with “full” ears and feedback. I can hear myself talk. If I pull down on my earlobs to talk it’s a little better. A little nausea and a little dizziness. I feel like I have drainage that routes to my ears. I have never used any oils but am open to anything.
Hi Joni ~ I know what that feeling of fluid in the ears is like. I also experience the same, but w/o any Meniere’s symptoms. Some of us have narrow internal ear canals and fluid can get caught or build up for us. If the diagnosis is correct, minimizing symptoms earlier rather than later is important as I’ve read and had customers tell me the damage, including hearing loss, is progressive.
You could give StandingTall™ a try. For some, the good effects are almost immediate, even instantaneous! For others, it may take longer, but they are the exception…not the rule. The blend has completely cured a number of customers’ symptoms, including my father’s. You may read customer reviews on this page.
I have osteoporosis- would the heel thumping aggravate this condition? I have positional vertigo- I try to avoid the 3 positions that cause vertigo. i have a strong lightheadedness along with nausea. Can I be helped? I’m also very anxious. Please respond.
(I’m 70 yrs. old but have been suffering in various degrees from this condition since I was 30. I, too, have undergone many ENT testings which were purgatorial.
I’m concerned with my weight loss, having hardly any appetite. This episode has been going on for over 2 months. Help!
Hi Mary Ann ~ Sounds like you have a lot going on, health-wise.
Am not sure if heel thumping would aggravate weak osteoporotic bones? If you use good athletic shoes or a cushy rug and don’t do the thumps too hard, you may be fine. Please ask your bone doctor for his/her opinion. BTW, Tai Chi is EXCELLENT for strengthening bones and correcting balance/vertigo issues as well. You may want to try a class for a year to see how it may benefit you.
Anxiety, depending on the cause, can respond well to aromatherapy using quality essential oils. Are you working with a professional therapist or health practitioner on this issue? Also, have you been seen by a medical practitioner about your loss of appetite / weight loss? You are right to be concerned as they can be symptoms of more serious health issues. There are herbs / oils that can stimulate appetite, but it’s important to get to the root cause before starting a self-care program.
Very informative – 5 stars!
I understand your reluctance to disclose your formula for Standing Tall, however, you must understand mine in using a product whose ingredients are undisclosed. A simple list of oils would be helpful in making this decision.
Hi Marsha ~ I do understand your concern. Please read through my replies to other similar queries on this post. You will find the types of oils, but not the ‘exact’ essential oils in the formula…which I am choosing to protect from being copied. A few readers have opted for creating their own formulas, while many clients have decided to purchase the one we offer. The exercises I mentioned in the article, by themselves are very helpful for balance issues.
Hi. I would like to know what essentail oils are in standing tall?
Elaine ~ StandingTall is proprietary blend of therapeutic, anti-viral citrus and ginger essential oils that promote nerve health. The 20% EOs blend in organic golden jojoba oil may be diluted even more to last longer.
Citrus essential oils need to be used with some care (discussed in the instructions we include) as they should not be used on the skin before exposure to sunlight.
Thanks for you interest in our healing oil blends.