Are there times when the room feels like it’s spinning around you? Do you often feel dizzy or unstable while walking? Is it hard to focus your eyes when you move your head in certain ways? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then you know that you need to look into vestibular rehab.
This is a type of physical therapy that’s designed to help people treat symptoms of dizziness and vertigo. It’s also known as vestibular therapy. There are many people who can benefit from this type of physiotherapy. In fact, many of the up to 20% of Americans who are affected by dizziness and vertigo annually can benefit from vestibular rehab.
Issues that vestibular rehab can help treat
You’ll need to figure out what’s causing your dizziness and vertigo before starting treatment. After all, vestibular therapy can be less effective if your physical therapist doesn’t know the cause of your symptoms. There are a range of issues that can cause you to feel vertigo or dizziness. A few of the more common issues that cause these symptoms include:
- Meniere’s disease.
- Lower limb osteoarthritis.
- Damage caused by strokes.
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
- Ear infections.
- Migraines.
What physical therapy methods are used in vestibular rehab?
Once the cause of your vertigo or dizziness has been found, your physical therapist can really go to work. They’ll start by testing your movement to determine what leads to your symptoms. Then, your physical therapist will build you a therapy plan fitted to your unique needs.
Such a plan will often make us of therapy techniques like:
- Balance exercises to help improve your balance and decrease fall risk.
- Gaze stabilization training that can help you focus your eye more quickly during an episode of vertigo.
- Canalith repositioning designed to help reposition the otoliths that cause BPPV.
- Manual therapy intended to help improve your stability by increasing mobility in arthritis joints and flexibility in the muscles that support them.
Find effective vestibular rehab at Border Therapy Services
Ready to try vestibular therapy for your dizziness and vertigo? Our physical therapists at Border Therapy Services are primed to help you get the care you need for your symptoms. Our team offers free screenings intended to pinpoint the root cause of your vertigo and dizziness. In addition, we specialize in building vestibular therapy plans that are personalized to each patient.
Is your vertigo or dizziness keeping you stuck at home? No worries! You can still get therapy from our team thanks to our at-home care and virtual therapy services.
Contact us today for more information about the vestibular therapy we offer or to schedule your initial appointment.