Vestibular Rehabilitation
What is vestibular rehabilitation?
Vestibular rehabilitation involves treatment of dizziness and vertigo. Dizziness and vertigo is caused by disturbances in the vestibular system. The vestibular system is made up of 3 parts.
-
Area of the inner ear that senses movement
-
Nerves that carry this information to the brain
-
Area of the brain that processes the information
To control balance the brain uses input from your vestibular system, visual system, and muscles and joints. Vestibular rehabilitation involves manual therapy, head maneuvers, and exercises designed to improve balance caused by dizziness and vertigo. Vestibular rehabilitation is a specialized form of physiotherapy which is offered at Rebuild Physiotherapy in Toronto.
What are the signs and symptoms of dizziness and vertigo?
Dizziness and vertigo can occur when you are static or initiated by movement (ex. head turning, moving from lying down to getting up). The episodes could be short, lasting a few seconds or constant, lasting for hours. Some patients describes their dizziness as a feeling of:
-
Floating
-
Swaying
-
Feelings of unsteadiness
-
Wooziness (swimming feeling in head)
-
Lightheadedness
-
Feelings of passing out
-
Sensations of moving
-
Tilting
-
Whirling (sensations known as vertigo)
-
Nausea
-
Vomiting
-
Fatigue
-
Headache
What causes dizziness and vertigo?
There are a variety of causes which include inner ear issues, head trauma, infection, brain related issues, illness, medication, etc.
What would my first appointment be like?
Your physiotherapist will ask you about your symptoms and what triggers them. Your physiotherapist will assess your balance, gait, vision, and neck mobility. Specialized head maneuvers will be used to test the vestibular system. After the source of the vestibular dysfunction is determined a customized treatment plan will be designed.
What is the Epley Maneuver?
The Epley maneuver is a vestibular rehabilitation technique used to treat BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). BPPV is a common vestibular issue which involves dizziness caused by head movement. BPPV is caused by by calcium carbonate crystal displacement in the inner ear. Epley maneuver is one of the head maneuvers used to treat a specific type of BPPV. The are several types of BPPV which cause vertigo. Other types of BPPV would involve different head maneuvers.
For Vestibular Rehabilitation, book an appointment at Rebuild Physiotherapy in Toronto today!