Have you ever experienced the unsettling sensation that the world is spinning around you even though you’re standing perfectly still? This sensation is known as vertigo, and it can be quite debilitating. Fortunately, vestibular therapy for vertigo offers hope.
Vertigo is a type of dizziness that creates a false sense of motion, making you feel as if either you or your surroundings are spinning in circles. It typically stems from issues in the inner ear or other parts of the vestibular system, which is responsible for maintaining balance.
Vestibular therapy focuses on exercises and techniques that retrain your brain and body to respond more appropriately to movement, reducing or even eliminating vertigo symptoms. By working with the experienced physical therapists at American Headache Institute, you can address the root cause of your vertigo and find lasting relief.
Today, we want to explore vestibular therapy for vertigo in more detail, providing you with insights into its treatment techniques and how it can address vertigo at its source. Keep reading to learn more!
What Causes Vertigo?
Several factors can cause vertigo, but they have one thing in common: they all disrupt your sense of balance and stability.
Probably the most common cause of vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which occurs when tiny calcium particles in the inner ear become dislodged and move into areas where they shouldn’t be. This can lead to sudden bouts of vertigo when you change your head position.
Ménière’s disease is another potential cause of vertigo. This condition causes fluid buildup in the inner ear, which can lead to episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
Vestibular neuritis, an inner ear infection, is another contributor to vertigo. It affects the nerve responsible for sending balance information to the brain, leading to a sudden, intense episode of dizziness that can last several days.
No matter what is causing your vertigo, vestibular therapy can help you find relief.
Vestibular Therapy for Vertigo: What to Expect
Vestibular therapy offers a range of specialized techniques to help you overcome vertigo and regain your balance. We tailor these techniques to address the underlying causes of vertigo and help retrain the body and brain to function more effectively. Here are just some of the methods we might use, depending on your needs:
Repositioning Maneuvers
- This technique helps those with BPPV. It involves a series of specific head and body movements that help to move dislodged calcium particles in the inner ear back to their correct position, reducing or eliminating dizziness.
Gaze Stabilization Exercises
- These exercises focus on improving your ability to maintain a steady vision while your head moves. For example, we might ask you to focus on a specific object while turning your head from side to side.
Habituation Exercises
- Habituation exercises involve exposure to specific positions that trigger vertigo. The goal is to reduce the brain’s sensitivity to these stimuli over time. By gradually increasing tolerance, these exercises help decrease the frequency and intensity of vertigo episodes.
Balance Training
- Balance training involves exercises that help improve your body’s ability to maintain stability in different situations. These exercises might include standing on one leg, walking in a straight line, or using a balance board. Challenging your balance helps strengthen the vestibular system and improve your overall stability.
Struggling with Vertigo? Try Vestibular Therapy
Vestibular therapy for vertigo is an evidence-based approach to managing the condition, helping you to get back to living your life to the fullest. If you think you might be a good candidate for American Headache Institute’s vestibular therapy program, schedule an appointment at our Rochester Hills, MI clinic today!
Tags: vestibular therapy, dizziness, vertigo
