Dizziness and Vertigo
Dizziness and vertigo can be debilitating, the good news is that physical therapy can help! I want to lead off here by saying that a sudden onset of dizziness or vertigo warrants a call to your primary care physician or getting checked out in the emergency room. When cleared, PT might be your best option to return to feeling like yourself again. Mobile physical therapy is well positioned to be your best option because you don’t have to contend with the terribly challenging obstacle of riding in or driving a car.
Some of the most common causes of dizziness or vertigo symptoms that are treated by PTs are BPPV, cervicogenic dizziness/headaches, and age related changes in the inner ear which can cause loss of balance and a whole host of other symptoms.
With BPPV, people most often have a sudden onset of vertigo (room spinning sensation) made worse with changes in head position such as rolling over in bed. When this is the case, the symptoms are often severe. The good news is that it is the easiest form of vertigo to treat. We first determine the specific canal of your inner ear that is being affected, then can perform several maneuvers to correct the problem. Sometimes this is treated and totally resolved in one session, and almost always is better inside of 3-5 sessions.
Other common types of vertigo/dizziness that are successfully treated with physical therapy are cervicogenic (cervical spine/neck) dizziness and age related degenerative changes. Dizziness can stem from issues arising in your neck because of how the nerves travel through this area can get irritated. Poor posture, repetitive positions/movements, how you breathe, and strength/mobility deficits can result in irritation to the nerves within your neck and cause dizziness or vertigo. People with these types of symptoms will often be able to detect changes with different positions or activities.
As we age, the structures that detect movement in our inner ear can become less sensitive. The term for this type of dizziness or vertigo is unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH). When this happens rapidly and on one side more than the other, we can have a situation where our brain is getting two different messages from both ears. Any time the brain is getting different signals as to the direction or speed of movement, it can result in dizziness. Individuals with UVH often experience a sudden loss of balance with head turns or walking and difficulty walking in crowded areas or grocery stores.
If you are experiencing any of these types of dizziness/vertigo, give me call to find out if I can help!
Some of the most common causes of dizziness or vertigo symptoms that are treated by PTs are BPPV, cervicogenic dizziness/headaches, and age related changes in the inner ear which can cause loss of balance and a whole host of other symptoms.
With BPPV, people most often have a sudden onset of vertigo (room spinning sensation) made worse with changes in head position such as rolling over in bed. When this is the case, the symptoms are often severe. The good news is that it is the easiest form of vertigo to treat. We first determine the specific canal of your inner ear that is being affected, then can perform several maneuvers to correct the problem. Sometimes this is treated and totally resolved in one session, and almost always is better inside of 3-5 sessions.
Other common types of vertigo/dizziness that are successfully treated with physical therapy are cervicogenic (cervical spine/neck) dizziness and age related degenerative changes. Dizziness can stem from issues arising in your neck because of how the nerves travel through this area can get irritated. Poor posture, repetitive positions/movements, how you breathe, and strength/mobility deficits can result in irritation to the nerves within your neck and cause dizziness or vertigo. People with these types of symptoms will often be able to detect changes with different positions or activities.
As we age, the structures that detect movement in our inner ear can become less sensitive. The term for this type of dizziness or vertigo is unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH). When this happens rapidly and on one side more than the other, we can have a situation where our brain is getting two different messages from both ears. Any time the brain is getting different signals as to the direction or speed of movement, it can result in dizziness. Individuals with UVH often experience a sudden loss of balance with head turns or walking and difficulty walking in crowded areas or grocery stores.
If you are experiencing any of these types of dizziness/vertigo, give me call to find out if I can help!
