Dizziness and Vertigo? Physiotherapy can Help

When searching for the right professional to help your vertigo, look for a Physiotherapist with a specialization in “vestibular therapies.”

Do you occasionally get a seemingly unprovoked dizzy sensation? Perhaps from moving your head a certain way, lying down, or getting up too quickly? This can happen to the best of us from time to time, but if you notice it happening more than occasionally and lasting anywhere from a few seconds to hours, then you might have vertigo.

Did you know that vertigo is actually a symptom, not a condition? Vertigo, that is, the sensation that you (or the inside of your head) is spinning, can be the result of a few different conditions. Fortunately, the most prevalent type of vertigo does extremely well with Physiotherapy treatment.

Are you ready? (if you weren’t dizzy before, you might be after reading this), it’s called: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (or BPPV for short).

Translation:

• Benign: not life-threatening

• Paroxysmal: comes in sudden, brief spells (typically lasts less than 30 seconds)

• Positional: triggered by certain head movements or positions

• Vertigo: sense of room spinning/whirling

This condition is prevalent in adults of all ages, but particularly in seniors. Of all the inner ear disorders that can cause dizziness or vertigo, BPPV is by far the most common and one of the easiest to treat.

BPPV can often be treated in just one to three sessions with a series of specific head movements that put the small crystals back in their place

“While emotional stress itself is not usually a cause of TMD, the way stress shows
up in the body can be.”

Common symptoms include:

• Dizziness

• The sense that your surroundings are spinning or moving

• Loss of balance

• Nausea (and in some cases vomiting)

Diagnosis and treatment

With a series of positional tests, BPPV can be diagnosed by your physiotherapist and can often be treated in just one to three sessions with a series of specific head movements that put the small crystals back in their place. Your Physiotherapist can also provide education; with some guidance and support, often some of these maneuvers can be performed at home to help you manage your symptoms and prevent future episodes.

When searching for the right professional to help your vertigo, look for a Physiotherapist with training or a specialization in “vestibular therapies.” “Vestibular therapies” focus on issues with dizziness, balance, posture, and vision. Professionals with this specialization have undergone extra training in this area and are typically experienced in treating, managing, and educating.

All in all, this one is a real gem of a treatment, and can make an enormous difference for people who very much miss the sensation of solid ground. Your days of “laying down and waiting for it to pass” are over with; give us a call and we’ll have you back in the operator’s seat in no time.

Vanessa Service, Physiotherapy

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