Have you ever felt like the room was spinning, like you just got off a long ride at the carnival? Or maybe you’re experiencing dizziness and nausea after a head injury or a sickness. These sensations can be unnerving, disorienting and frustrating. The good news is, there’s a dedicated field of physical therapy that can help you regain your balance and conquer those dizzy spells. It’s called vestibular physical therapy, and understanding how it works starts with learning about a fascinating part of your inner ear.
The vestibular system: Your inner ear’s balancing act
Nestled in the delicate chambers of your inner ear is your vestibular system. It acts like a tiny, high-tech GPS and motion detector rolled into one. Within your vestibular system, there are intricate canals that are filled with fluid that move when you move your head. When you tilt your head, turn or even just stand still, they detect every subtle change in your motion and send lightning-fast signals to your brain, letting it know exactly where your head is in relation to gravity and how you’re moving through space. Your vestibular system also works with your eyes and sense of touch to help create a 3D map of your surroundings. When you take a step forward, your vestibular system makes sure your brain knows you’re moving ahead and adjusts your balance accordingly. When you look up at the sky, it helps you keep a perfect gaze without feeling like you’re going to lose your balance.
This teamwork is what gives you the ability to walk, run, dance and even flip upside down without missing a beat. It helps keep you upright and in control.
What happens when your vestibular system gets out of whack?
Unfortunately, there are a variety of conditions that can disrupt the delicate workings of your vestibular system, for example:
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
- Meniere’s disease.
- Migraines.
- Inner ear infections.
- Concussions.
- Vertigo.
- Labyrinthitis.
- Vestibular neuritis.
- Stroke.
- Risk of falling.
Reclaim your balance: Benefits of vestibular physical therapy
If you’re experiencing dizziness, vertigo or balance problems impacting your life, vestibular physical therapy can be a game changer. Here’s what vestibular physical therapy can offer:
- A customized treatment plan.
- Managing symptoms.
- Improving balance and stability.
- Boosting confidence.
- Improving visual function.
- Reducing and desensitizing triggers.
- Understanding about conditions and coping skills.
- Increasing activity gradually for safety.
- Reducing fall risk.
- Increasing body strength.
How can vestibular physical therapy help in concussion recovery?
Your physical therapist has a toolbox filled with specialized tools and techniques to help them address different problems. To address and correct concussion-related issues, vestibular physical therapy uses a variety of techniques, including:
- Symptom management — Vestibular physical therapists can use different techniques to help you effectively manage your symptoms. A common post-concussion issue is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). BPPV causes short bursts of dizziness that are triggered when you move your head. Your therapist may use certain maneuvers that can help reposition the tiny crystals in your ear that can be the culprit behind this dizziness.
- Balance and coordination improvement — Regaining your balance after a concussion is key. Through targeted exercises like standing on different surfaces, specific walking patterns and head movement challenges, your vestibular system will get a workout. These exercises can help retrain it to function optimally again.
- Visual rehabilitation — Concussions can sometimes blur the lines between what you see and how your body feels balanced. Vestibular physical therapy can help you sharpen your visual focus with exercises to improve your eye movements, such as tracking objects with your eyes and stabilizing your gaze. These are all crucial for clear vision and spatial awareness.
- Habitual exercises — Feeling dizzy during certain movements can be unnerving and intimidating. Vestibular physical therapy can incorporate habituation exercises, which gradually expose you to movements or positions that trigger your symptoms. Over time, these exercises can help your vestibular system become less sensitive to these triggers, which can help reduce your fear and dizziness.
- Customized treatment plans — Your concussion symptoms aren’t the exact same as someone else’s, so why should you have a cookie-cutter treatment plan? Your physical therapist will do a thorough assessment to understand your specific needs and create a PT treatment plan tailored to your goals. This unique plan will help guide your recovery and can be adjusted based on your needs.
- Coordination with other health care providers — Vestibular physical therapy can be a part of a multidisciplinary approach to your concussion recovery. Your physical therapist can collaborate with your doctor or other health care providers to help with your concussion recovery. This collaboration can help ensure that you get comprehensive care for your optimal recovery.
- Education and coping skills — Knowledge is power, and education is a big part of vestibular physical therapy. Your physical therapist will teach you about concussion recovery, tips for managing your symptoms, and strategies to help you pace yourself to avoid making dizziness worse. They can also give you guidance on lifestyle and coping skills to help you handle symptoms in your daily life.
- Progressive exercise program — Your vestibular physical therapist will design a progressive exercise program that starts slowly and gradually increases in intensity as you get stronger, facilitating a safe and effective recovery and allowing you to gradually return to your regular activity level.
REPAIR SI can help you with your vestibular physical therapy needs for concussion recovery and more
At REPAIR SI, we understand the frustrations of dealing with dizziness and balance problems caused by vestibular dysfunction. Our licensed physical therapists are equipped to help address vestibular conditions like concussions and BPPV. After a thorough evaluation, your physical therapist will create a treatment plan tailored to meet your specific concerns and goals. Our vestibular physical therapy can help you take steps toward life in equilibrium and get back to living your life to the fullest.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.