Physical Therapy for Vestibular Dysfunction
For those who suffer from dizziness, finding relief is critical to reclaiming independence and confidence in enjoying your life. Vestibular rehabilitation is a specialty service provided at ActivePT. Ashlee Harriman, a physical therapist at our North Mankato location, specializes in the treatment of vestibular rehabilitation. The ultimate goal of treatment is to reduce dizziness associated with inner ear dysfunction and improve safety and quality of life.
Where Dizziness Comes From
Several different factors can cause dizziness. Factors can include medications, changes in blood pressure, neck pain, headaches, or the inner ear. Your inner ear, or vestibular system, is responsible for detecting your head and body’s motion as well as acceleration and deceleration. If this system is not functioning as it should, you may experience a sensation of spinning and/or unsteadiness. This is often referred to as vertigo.
Vertigo is simply a false sense of motion. Our patients often describe the room spinning, a “wishy-washy” feeling, or a floating feeling. Some of the common motions that cause this sensation include: rolling over in bed, getting up from bed in the morning, looking up, or turning your head suddenly. These symptoms may last seconds, minutes, or hours depending on the underlying cause of the vestibular dysfunction. A physical therapist trained in vestibular rehabilitation can assist in determining the cause and recommend the appropriate vestibular exercises.
BPPV – Causes & Treatment for Dizziness
The most common cause of vertigo is BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). If you suffer from BPPV, you will notice that changes in body position affect your vertigo. This is because the position of your inner ear canals are also changing. The phrase, “my crystals are out,” is referring to this phenomenon. These “crystals” are known as otoconia, and if they are moving within your inner ear canals, it will cause a sudden onset of dizziness. Someone with BPPV may also experience nausea and vomiting. The dizziness caused by BPPV often lasts less than a minute at a time and subsides if you remain still without any head movement.
Some common causes of BPPV include changes due to aging, genetics, and head trauma. Unfortunately, BPPV is commonly a recurring problem. Physical therapy treatment is highly effective for this type of vertigo. There are positional maneuvers your physical therapist can perform to assist in relocating the otoconia to their appropriate location, which can stop the dizziness. Relief of dizziness can often be achieved in 1-2 treatment sessions.
Dizziness Beyond BPPV
Vestibular dysfunction and dizziness, can be caused by factors other than BPPV. A physical therapist with specialized training in vestibular dysfunction can help determine the cause of your dizziness with specific evaluation measures.
Once an evaluation has been performed then your physical therapist can prescribe exercises to assist in reducing your symptoms. The response of your vestibular system can be improved with specific exercises, just like a muscle can be strengthened.. It is important to know that you may experience symptoms occasionally when you perform your exercises. This is normal and is actually the desired result. When you intermittently experience your symptoms in a controlled environment, then your body adapts and the less and less the symptoms will occur. Compare this to an exercise, the more repetitions you perform, the stronger your muscle will get, and the easier a certain task will become.
Why I Love Treating Dizziness
I first developed interest in this area during physical therapy school. It is a specialty that keeps me challenged because each person’s cause and presentation of dizziness can be different. It involves a lot of critical thinking and unique treatment. I truly enjoy the challenge! I expanded my knowledge of this topic through post-graduate continuing education and have been treating dizziness for the past 4 years. I also enjoy the sense of relief and happiness someone feels when their dizziness stops and they can enjoy their life again.
If you or a loved one are suffering from dizziness, call or click to schedule an evaluation today. We schedule our patients based on urgency, so be sure to inform our team if you need to be seen right away and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
