Vestibular Physiotherapy: How it helps in Overcoming Vertigo?

Occasionally experiencing blurry vision, dizziness, and a feeling of distorted movement shouldn’t be ignored. If these symptoms occur frequently, it’s important to consult a medical professional for advice, as they could be signs of vertigo.

Vertigo is typically determined when you are feeling like you are moving even if in reality you are just still, or feeling that sense of distorted motion while your head is normally moving.

The nerves in the vestibular system serve as the connection between the human brain and the inner ear. They are tasked to send signals from the inner ear to the brain and coordinate their balance. If a problem occurs, mixed information and signals can be possibly sent to the brain which can further lead to false sensations of movement and imbalance, triggering vertigo. Experiencing its symptoms of dizziness, nausea and headaches.

Vertigo is caused either by problems in the inner ear, known as peripheral vertigo, or problems in the brain or nervous system, known as central vertigo. Typical types of vertigo are categorized as:

• Objective- The spinning sensation of stationery objects
• Subjective- Feeling dizziness and movement
• Pseudo vertigo- Intensive rotation under the head

People ages 20 and above are deemed to be more susceptible to vertigo. The symptoms of vertigo can persist continuously and may endure for multiple days. With this condition, doing your usual daily tasks can be difficult and you can feel your body exhausted and restricted.

Additional potential symptoms they may experience encompass:

• Postural instability
• Nausea or vomiting
• Lower level of consciousness
• Blurred vision
• Hearing loss
• Fatigue
• Difficulties in walking
• Anxiety
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Sensitivity to the light or sound
• Nystagmus (unintentional eye movement)
• Standing or walking unsteadily
• Giddy feeling

How can I treat my vertigo?

An effective way of treating a complex condition of vertigo is Vestibular physiotherapy. Initially, a simple assessment will be conducted to determine the severity of the symptoms experienced by the patient. This test assessment may include:

• Eye tests
• Balance tests
• Positional tests
• Gait analysis

Following this, several other tests can be suggested to further confirm their existing condition. The following tests may include:

• Recording the history of symptoms
• Taking tests of balance
• Dix-Hallpike maneuver
• Hearing test
• Rotation tests
• Blood test
• Head-thrust tests
• Caloric reflex tests
• Electronystagmography

Upon determining this and considering other factors, the suitable treatment for the patient’s condition will be recommended where they could offer the following treatments for vertigo:

• Balance retraining
• Repositioning techniques, specially designed to treat BPPV, which include head maneuver procedures to treat vertigo
• Balance and gait exercises that treat vestibular balance systems to regain confidence and balance while walking
• Eye-head coordination exercises that treat symptoms of dizziness.
• Habituation exercises which involve specific movements that treat the symptoms of dizziness
• Neck mobilizations
• Activity adaptation advice

Read also: How Does Vestibular Physiotherapy Help Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)?

Where can I get Vestibular Physiotherapy?

The Evergreen Rehab & Wellness Physiotherapy Clinic in BC offers vestibular physiotherapy where they hire highly skilled and well-trained physiotherapists that effectively treat vestibular disorders to help the patients get back to their usual daily activities. Through their help, the patients will be able to improve the mobility of their joints, decrease their feeling of dizziness, improve their balance, and help them get rid of their acute, chronic injuries and other certain diseases.

Interested clients can book an online physiotherapy session, or an in-person physiotherapy service to treat their condition.

Benefits of Vestibular Physiotherapy

The gained benefits of Vestibular Physiotherapy are life-changing. Aside from comprehensively understanding their medical condition and likewise, learning and developing their coping strategies, some patients will be able to experience immediate and lasting relief from their previous symptoms. Allowing them to resume their normal routine without any limitation.

Read also: Vestibular Physiotherapy in Coquitlam – What You Need to Know?

Patients who are undergoing vestibular rehabilitation may experience the following benefits:

• Reduced dizziness and risk of falls.
• Improved visual focus.
• Improved balance.
• Regain energy levels, and improve exercise tolerance.
• Enjoy their normal and daily activities.
• Boosted confidence, specifically in their physical ability.

To reduce the possibility of experiencing vertigo, it is recommended to adopt the optimal sleeping posture of lying on your back. This position helps to maintain equilibrium in the calcium deposits within the inner ear canals and can aid in preventing Meniere’s disease, which can be caused by leaks in the perilymph fluid.