Introduction
A 21-year-old male presented with a diagnosis of POTS. Symptoms included syncope, dizziness, lightheadedness, extreme fatigue, digestive complaints, and joint pain. He was having 1-3 syncopal episodes a day.
Examination and Diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
A neurological examination revealed pontomedullary and central vestibular dysfunction.
Treatment
The patient was initially treated 3x a week for 1 hour visits for one week, then 2x per week for 30 min visits over 5 consecutive weeks. Visits included tilt table therapy, BEMER therapy, eye movement therapy, somatosensory exercises, neuromodulation to the hypoglossal and trigeminal nerves, and red/ NIR light therapy. The patient underwent 10hrs of HBOT therapy.
While undergoing treatment the patient began an individualized supine exercise program and increased water/salt intake.
Results
The patient saw complete remission from syncopal episodes, dizziness, and digestive complaints. The patient saw improvement but continued to experience mild fatigue and joint pain.
The patient was placed on a maintenance plan of one 15 min visit per week for 6 weeks with 1 hr HBOT per week and chiropractic adjustments using Activator method. Individualized neurological exercises, and individualized supplementation were performed at home.
Conclusion
Functional neurological care has been shown to be effective in the treatment of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Please visit our Dysautonomia Program webpage for more information.