VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION
WHAT IS VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION?
Vestibular Rehabilitation is a form of therapy designed to help anyone experiencing dizziness and/or vertigo. Experiencing these symptoms can be fatiguing and stressful. With Vestibular Rehabilitation, these symptoms can be relieved.
Vestibular rehabilitation uses a combination of exercise, education, lifestyle changes, and other strategies designed to help people resolve or cope with symptoms related to dizziness and/or vertigo. Exercises may include head positioning techniques, balance training, stretching/strengthening, and vision/gaze stability to improve the connection between the eyes, ears, neck and brain.
Education about the patient's specific diagnosis is very important in understanding recovery rates, this is an integral part of Vestibular Rehab.
DIZZINESS VS VERTIGO:
Dizziness and vertigo are not the same thing, yet are often used interchangeably. It is very important to know the difference in order to make the most accurate diagnosis.
Dizziness: a subjective phenomenon used to describe a variety of sensations (light headed, disorientation etc). Spinning inside your head.
Vertigo: a specific type of dizziness defined as the illusion of movement occurring around you ('the spins'). Acute, short episodes, caused by inner ear vestibular dysfunction.
CAUSES OF DIZZINESS/VERTIGO:
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Cardiovascular - low blood pressure
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Visual dysfunction - vision processing errors
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Vestibular System Disorders - inner ear
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Vestibular degeneration (ie. elderly)
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Head trauma (concussion/falls)
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Neuritis (inflammation of inner ear nerve)
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Meniere's Disease
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BPPV (loose crystals in the inner ear)
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UNDERSTANDING BPPV:
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. In simple terms, this occurs when the small crystals of your inner ear that help detect our head movement, slip into the inner ear canals where they don't belong. These crystals then send false signals to our brain about our head movement. This confusion of information gives us "the spins" and the illusion that the room or objects are moving. These symptoms are usually brought on with quick head movements like lying down, or looking up, and are short lived. We know we aren’t moving but our brain continues to receive input that we still are. This is what makes us feel uncomfortable.
But which of the 3 inner ear canals are the crystals in? Often this condition is misdiagnosed or is treated with the hope that the crystals are in the most common, posterior canal. This is where our knowledge and specific assessment techniques are invaluable. We will accurately diagnose where the crystals have been dislodged to, if at all, in order to provide the most appropriate treatment. When assessed and treated the proper way, these symptoms can be resolved fairly quickly, usually in 1-4 treatments.