Vestibular rehabilitation is a form of therapy that addresses symptoms including vertigo, brain fog, dizzy spells, gaze instability, and other vestibular disorders. Other symptoms can include having difficulties maintaining your balance or often dealing with nausea.
The rehabilitation therapy plan is personalized by a physiotherapist specific to your needs after evaluating your symptoms and their causes. Read on to find out more about vestibular rehabilitation, if you may be a candidate, and what you might expect from your appointment.
What is Vestibular Rehabilitation?
Vestibular rehabilitation involves manual head maneuvers and exercises with the goal to reduce the symptoms of vestibular disorders. The symptoms can be due to brain injury, migraine, vertigo, stroke, or nervous system disorders that can reduce the functions of the inner ear canal.
To deal with the disrupted signals to the inner ear, the brain must rely on signals from other systems in the body. The exercises that are done during vestibular rehabilitation strategically train the brain to maintain balance using those alternative signals. Relief from the symptoms is gradual but the body can regain normal function.
Who can Benefit From it?
Patients who have been diagnosed with conditions that cause vertigo symptoms are usually advised to do vestibular rehabilitation. Conditions can include post-concussion syndrome, cervicogenic dizziness, Meniere’s disease, neurological conditions, vestibular migraines, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and other vestibular disorders.
Rehabilitation is a gentle and safe way to address the symptoms. If not diagnosed with a vestibular condition, those experiencing symptoms should be assessed by a physiotherapist to determine what options are available to help relieve symptoms.
What to Expect During Your Appointment
Your physiotherapist will assess your symptoms and evaluate your condition paying particular attention to motor functions, active and passive movement capacities, dermatomes and associated sensations, and will perform an inner ear exam. Depending on the results of the evaluation, a treatment plan will be created for you to strengthen your weaknesses and address the causes of your symptoms.
Each patient’s plan will differ according to personal needs and will gradually improve your movement, balance, strength, and mobility to help bring you back to living your best life. The plan may include vision stability training, posture training, stretching and strengthening exercises, proprioception retraining, gait exercises, and ergonomic training.
Patients are usually seen by their physiotherapists one to two times a week for about six to eight weeks, depending on how well they respond to the treatment. You will be expected to do exercises at home as well.
Book an Appointment
Have you been experiencing dizzy spells, vertigo symptoms, instability when walking, visual imbalance, or brain fog? Vestibular rehabilitation may be an effective option to bring you back to feeling your best without the use of aggressive or invasive treatments.
Whether your symptoms are mild or are caused by a serious condition, the best way to find out if vestibular rehabilitation is right for you is to consult a physiotherapist. Book an appointment with our team at Physiotherapy @ Woodbridge by contacting us at 289-475-2147 or book online.
