8/20/2021Can PT Help With Vertigo?

What Is Vertigo?

Vertigo is the sensation of spinning — even when you are perfectly still. You might feel like you are moving or that the room is moving around you. Vertigo affects people of all ages. Although it is very rare among children, it is common in adults over the age of 20. Vertigo and balance problems are more dangerous for people ages 65 and over. Older adults are at greater risk for fractures and major injuries from a fall caused by imbalance.

Most causes of vertigo involve the vestibular system (the part of the inner ear responsible for balance). A number of conditions can produce vertigo, such as:

• Inner ear infections or disorders.
• Migraines.
• Tumors, such as acoustic neuroma.
• Surgery that removes or injures the inner ear or its nerves.
• Head injury that results in injury to the inner ear.
• A hole in the inner ear.
• Stroke.

You also might have:

• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Sweating.
• Abnormal eye movements.
• Ringing in one or both ears.
• Difficulty walking due to imbalance.

One of the most common forms of vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. BPPV is an inner ear problem. It causes short periods of a spinning sensation when your head is moved in certain directions.

Some people have visual vertigo (a dizzy or unsteady feeling when in stimulating visual settings). Activities such as walking in store aisles or driving in traffic may induce visual vertigo or make it worse.

Our physical therapists will perform tests to determine the causes of your vertigo. We also will determine your risk of falling. Depending on the results, we may recommend further testing, or that you see your doctor.

How Can a Physical Therapist Help?

Based on our evaluation and your goals, we will design a treatment plan specific to you. The exact treatments will depend on the cause of your vertigo. Our main focus is to help you get moving again and manage the vertigo at the same time. Treatment may include specialized head and neck movements that we can gently perform for you or teach you to do. It also will include exercises to help get rid of your symptoms. Conditions such as BPPV have very specific tests and treatments.

If you still have dizziness and balance problems after vertigo stops, we can target those problems. We’ll develop a treatment plan and teach you strategies to help you cope with your specific symptoms.

For example:

• If performing certain activities or chores at home cause you to become dizzy, we’ll show you how to do them in a different way to help reduce dizziness.
• If simple activities become difficult, or cause fatigue and more dizziness, we will help you work through them. This training will help you get moving again and return to your home and work activities.

Physical therapy treatments for dizziness can take many forms. The type of exercise program that is designed for you will depend on your unique problems, and might include:

• Exercises to improve your balance.
• Exercises to help the brain “correct” differences between your inner ears.
• Exercises to improve your ability to focus your eyes and vision.
• Exercises to increase tolerance to visually stimulating environments.

We may prescribe exercises to improve your strength, flexibility, and heart health. The goal of these exercises is to improve your overall physical health and well-being.

If you think you have Vertigo, schedule a screening with one of our PTs at a clinic nearest you. Let us help you get back on your feet.

**Sourced from Choosept.com. Read more HERE.