Cruises and boat trips
Sea travel is the most common trigger. The body adapts to the waves, then struggles to readapt on land.
MdDS Rehabilitation in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
The trip ended days or weeks ago, yet you still feel the rocking. We test how your balance and vision handle motion and stillness, then build a plan in coordination with your physician.
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- Care coordinated with your physician
The short answer
Mal de Débarquement syndrome (MdDS) is a rare balance disorder that leaves a rocking, swaying or bobbing feeling after a cruise, flight or long drive. At True Performance in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, we test balance, visual tolerance and focus, then use GyroStim and TransLingual NeuroStimulation (TLNS) with guided balance and visual exercises, paced to your symptoms.
Overview
Why do I still feel like I am on the boat?
Most people get their land legs back within a day or two. With MdDS, the rocking stays, sometimes for weeks or months.
It often feels worse when you stand still or lie down, and oddly better in a moving car. Screens, busy stores and long meetings can wear you out.
How can we help with something no scan shows?
No single test confirms MdDS, so your physician first rules out other causes. We then measure how your balance, eyes and focus respond to motion and to stillness.
That exam tells us whether GyroStim training for the rocking sensation fits, and how gently to start.
Understanding
What is mal de Débarquement syndrome (MdDS)?
Mal de Débarquement syndrome, or MdDS, is a rare vestibular disorder that makes you feel you are moving when you are not. It usually starts after travel, especially by boat. The rocking often eases during passive motion, such as a car ride, then returns when you stop.
What is actually happening
Long travel trains the brain to expect constant motion.
Back on land, that adjustment does not switch off as it should.
The brain keeps sensing a rocking motion that has already stopped.
Who this usually affects
- Women between 30 and 60, who make up most cases
- People who get migraines
- Travelers after a cruise, flight or long drive
- Some people after surgery, childbirth or head trauma
When it is something else
- A true spinning feeling, which points to another cause
- Ringing in the ears, hearing loss or vomiting
- New balance symptoms no physician has checked
The re-check
We re-test your balance, visual tolerance and symptom levels as you go. If they stop improving, we change the plan or point you back to your physician.
What causes MdDS?
Nobody knows for sure yet. Researchers are studying how the brain combines signals from the inner ear, eyes and body after long travel, and why that readjustment stalls in some people.
It does not necessarily mean the inner ear is damaged, and standard ear tests are often normal.
Source: Cleveland Clinic's guide to Mal de Débarquement syndrome.
Symptoms
Symptoms of mal de Débarquement syndrome (MdDS)
- Rocking, bobbing or swaying
- Unsteady standing or walking
- Relief in a moving car, then a return when it stops
- Worse when standing still or lying down
- Sensitivity to screens and busy visuals
- Brain fog and trouble concentrating
- Mental or physical fatigue
- Headaches or migraine flares
- Anxiety or low mood
Causes
Common causes
Flights, trains and long drives
Air travel and extended car or train trips can trigger MdDS less often.
Other passive motion
Elevators, docks, water beds and virtual reality goggles have all been linked to it.
Onset without travel
Some people develop it with no motion trigger, for example after childbirth, surgery or head trauma.
Migraine and hormonal changes
MdDS is more common in people with migraine. Symptoms can also shift with hormonal changes in some women.
Our approach
How our care works
Our MdDS rehab watches how your symptoms change with controlled motion, visual work and stillness, then chooses tools to match. Care can combine GyroStim and TransLingual NeuroStimulation (TLNS) with guided balance and visual exercises, paced to your tolerance and coordinated with your physician.
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GyroStim
MdDS responds differently to motion and to stillness. In the chair we can vary direction, speed and visual focus while watching how the rocking changes, and keep each run inside your tolerance. Learn about computer-controlled rotation for balance problems.
TransLingual NeuroStimulation (TLNS)
Gentle pulses through a small device on the tongue are paired with balance, eye-movement and movement tasks. See how TLNS balance and movement sessions are set up.
Red flags
When to seek care
The rocking of MdDS is steady and familiar. Some new symptoms point to a different problem that needs prompt care.
- A true spinning feeling
- Sudden hearing loss or ringing in one ear
- Repeated vomiting
- Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
- Slurred speech or a drooping face
- A sudden, severe headache
If rocking or dizziness comes with weakness, slurred speech, a drooping face or a sudden severe headache, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
Your clinician
Who plans your care
Your care is planned by Dr. Jeff McWhorter, D.C., a chiropractor whose practice focuses on functional neurology, concussion rehabilitation, and performance. His work includes complex balance problems such as MdDS.
He looks at how your balance, vision and focus respond to motion and to stillness. Then he builds a plan around the situations that bother you most, such as standing in line, reading or a long meeting.
Visit
Getting here
Our office is at 18029 Calle Ambiente, Suite 507, in Cielo Village, Rancho Santa Fe, about two miles from Lake Hodges. Patients come from across San Diego County and beyond, and we share practical tips for traveling to your visits.
The first step
Schedule Your MdDS Evaluation
- 01Start with a complimentary 15-minute intro call
- 02Your first visit takes about 90 minutes, plus data and history gathering
- 03We coordinate with your physician
How long does MdDS last?
For most people, the rocking fades within a day. Most others improve within a year, though some have symptoms for months or even years.
Why do I feel better in the car?
Relief during passive motion, followed by a return once you stop, is one of the signs that sets MdDS apart from other balance problems. Tell your physician about it.
Is MdDS the same as motion sickness?
No. Nausea during travel from motion sickness usually stops soon after the motion ends, and it gets worse in motion. MdDS starts after you stop moving and eases in motion.
Will motion sickness pills help MdDS?
Usually not. Some physicians use migraine, anxiety or sleep medicines when those fit, and that decision stays with your physician.
What makes MdDS flare?
Fatigue, stress, poor sleep, long screen time and busy visual settings bother many people. A simple symptom diary helps you and your physician spot your own triggers.
Does insurance cover MdDS care here?
We explain cost and payment options on your intro call, before you book an exam. The total depends on your exam and how many sessions your plan needs.
Journal
Read more about mal de Débarquement syndrome (MdDS)
Get a plan for the rocking that will not stop
Start with a complimentary 15-minute call with our team.