Physical Therapy For Dizziness

vastibular system

What is the Vestibular System?

The vestibular system is a dynamic system in the “inner ear”. This system provides the sense of balance and the information about body position that allows us to keep our balance and our vision steady. Although we are typically unaware of this system when it is working normally, if the system is damaged, balance and the sense of orientation in space is affected. When these symptoms occur, it can cause significant loss of balance, falls and decreased quality of life.

What is Vestibular Rehab?

Vestibular rehabilitation is an exercise-based program derived from a comprehensive exam completed by a specialty-trained physical therapist. This exercise program is targeted to address your dizziness and imbalance to return to your baseline. Depending on the cause of your dizziness, we can resolve your dizziness in 1 to 2 sessions. In other cases, when your system is requiring a recalibration this may take a series of PT sessions to resolve.

Common Symptoms That Can be Addressed with Vestibular Rehabilitation:

• Vertigo/spinning
• Benign Proximal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
• Dizziness or blurry vision with head movements
• Neck tightness, stiffness and/or pain
• Imbalance
• Headaches
• Generalized dizziness, wooziness, and foggy head feelings
• Disequilibrium

What You Can Expect as Part of Your PT Visit:

• Balance assessment
• Differentiating which system is lacking
• Lower Extremity strength assessment
• Visual Tracking (Oculomotor Exam)
• Gait (how you walk) assessment
• Neck mobility
• Positional testing, including an inner ear exam
• Cranial nerve testing

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