- Movement is so important as it makes you feel normal when your body is misbehaving. I found stretching in the morning gets my nervous system firing and the body going.<\/li>
- Cycling helps with my spacious awareness and allows me to be in the present moment especially in traffic!<\/li>
- Being creative and making activities fun. For example, I walk or run carrying a bouncy ball and shoot hoops in all the basketball hoops I come across and keep score!<\/li>
- Balancing activities such as walking on logs at the beach at the same time as juggling balls<\/li>
- Rock hopping has helped to improve my balance which in turn has helped me to regain my confidence in my body and what I can do<\/li>
- Walking in a crowd or shopping mall is sometimes hard for me so I look in the far distance or carry a hacky sack and squeeze it or toss it the air<\/li>
- Bouncing a ball helped with my gait as the focus was on the bounce and not trying to lose the ball!<\/li>
- Grocery shopping \u2013 I use a trolley which helps me zoom around the shops and crowds<\/li>
- Rocking back and forth on the spot or walking backwards help me reset my gait<\/li>
- Stopping and picking leaves, flowers, band ranches and feeling them as I walk helps to distract me<\/li>
- Dancing and singing<\/li>
- Trail running is a perfect distraction activity as so many rocks and tree roots to navigate and it is fun!<\/li>
- Hiking I use my walking pole as a baton and toss it in the air as I hike. The focus is on the pole versus my walking<\/li>
- Finding someone who can deal with all the neurological issues as well as musculoskeletal issues is so important. With FND there is a lot of muscle imbalances that occur which is caused by the changes in movement and this in turn affects the rest of body.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A lot of what works is individualised and it is an experimental process where different things work for some and not others. It is a bit of trial and error. For example when I am in the kitchen sometimes my leg would lock as I stopped. I started to use my hand like it was as brake and this helps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How I manage flare ups and relapses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
FND is now more in the background and I am constantly improving as the neurological pathways reconnect. The key thing I have learnt, is it takes time and does not happen instantly. I occasionally still get flare up and this usually occurs if I have a physical injury to my body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To manage flare-ups I keep a diary and write down what has worked for me in the past and refer back to this. I remind myself that FND isn\u2019t getting worse and I haven\u2019t done any damages, this is just a temporary thing and things will get better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As much as I would prefer not to live with FND I have learnt so much about this disorder and the world of FND is no longer a stranger to me. I have the tools to deal with her strange behaviours and symptoms. As a friend said to me \u201c in a way FND has enhanced your life, as it has had you focus on living.\u201d And that it has, there is no stopping me. Recently, I started indoor rock climbing and what a distractor! My best friend gave me a bracelet, which is my new motto: \u201cShe believed she could so she did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sky\u2019s the limit if : you can get the right help, find tools that work and most of all understand and accept the diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pre-prod.neurosymptoms.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Jacquies-story-picture-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nJacquie also shared this update with me three years after the onset of her illness which gives an insight in to how things can change over time. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three years later<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is almost been three years since FND (Funky Nellie Delta) came into my life and although she has not completely gone I do feel I am better equipped to deal with her and the symptoms I experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FND has been an ongoing learning experience for me and I realised that Funky Nellie Delta is not<\/em> the enemy but in fact a friend trying to protect me. As my acupuncturist always says, \u201cthe body is always trying to keep us safe, the way it does this is through signals. If we are not paying attention or used to operating in a high stress mode we can easily miss the signals. Then the body shouts louder and sends stronger signals until we take notice.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For me, work related stress manifested itself in stomach issues. Then when I suddenly developed gait issues it was my body\u2019s way of shouting louder and I had no choice but to pay attention. My gait abnormalities became even more pronounced and walking became quite difficult. Even my balance was affected to the point where I had trouble standing in a queue. I felt like me and my body were two separate entities. As a result, I lost trust in what I could do physically and hence did less and less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FND is a strange disorder because when I think she has left my life she will suddenly reappear. This is usually because I have done too much, being over stimulated, being over tired or even dehydrated. Funky Nelta Delta is just trying to look out for me by saying \u201cyou need to slow down, rest and reset.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reoccurrence of symptoms can be distressing and deep down inside there is the fear that my FND will return or get worse. Sometimes I am afraid that I will go back to that very dark space I was in. When I didn\u2019t know what was causing my strange body movements, I became stressed, depressed and at times suicidal. I have since learnt that FND feeds on these negative emotions and then the symptoms can get worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the symptoms disappear you tend to forget what worked in the past. So I find that keeping a diary is helpful with FND symptoms and solutions. Getting creative with a solution and turning a symptom it into a challenge has also worked. For example, in a crowded street market I was getting anxious and having trouble moving forward. I turned the people into rock climbing holds and the market itself into a wall that I had to work through and solve. This made walking in a crowd easier and it ended up being fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I do get relapses, I have to remind myself that they are temporary and I haven\u2019t done any damage. Instead I have to acknowledge that I have done too much and haven\u2019t balanced my day with restful activities. Restful activities for me include: positive affirmations, journalising, drawing, pottery, meditating and acupuncture all of which help to calm my nervous system.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/neurosymptoms.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAn integral part of my recovery has been indoor rock climbing. It has helped me significantly by improving my balance, coordination, strength, cognitive function, and special awareness. It has been an effective proprioception activity as the climbing movements are automatic and a subconscious process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I look at the wall and see it as a puzzle and the movements become automatic. My rock climbing instructor has taught me to move my body in ways I never thought possible. This in turn has lead me to regain trust in my body and its capabilities. In fact, I no longer feel that my body and me are separate entities but in fact one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although things are getting better, I do sometimes get down as I can\u2019t do as much as I could pre FND days. Instead I have to look at the positive aspects and look at how far I have come. As my best friend tells me \u201calways live life on the flip side and always find the silver lining. \u201c I realise that before FND I was constantly on the go and my body never got a chance to recuperate and rest. I feel that FND has taught me to live a more balanced and meaningful life. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/neurosymptoms.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-1.png\")
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