Vertigo is the medical name for feeling dizzy or off-balance.
Do you suffer from vertigo?
If you do, you’re in good company. Over 40% of Americans report occasionally feeling off-balance or dizzy, and it’s even more common among people over age 65. While vertigo can affect people of all ages, the organs of the vestibular system are more prone to degeneration as people age.
If you’ve seen a doctor for your dizziness, you may be confused about why they suggested physical therapy. After all, vertigo does not seem like a problem of the musculoskeletal system.
However, vertigo can be the result of many different processes in the body, and treatment from a physical therapist can help mitigate any damage associated with them.
What Causes Vertigo?
Vertigo can be caused by a myriad of processes going wrong in the body.
Most often, the issue lies in a disorder of the inner ear. The inner ear is a complex group of organs responsible for the vestibular system, which gives people a sense of balance and spatial orientation.
There are various disease processes that can affect the inner ear, most have no known cause or origin. When issues develop in the inner ear, they are difficult to treat directly.
Sometimes, vertigo is the result of nervous system issues, like headaches, migraines, or brain injuries. Regardless of the cause, eventually, all vertigo affects the central nervous system (brain). That’s where physical therapy comes in to help with pain relief.
How Physical Therapy Helps With Vertigo
Luckily, most cases of vertigo go away on their own because the brain is able to adapt to the “abnormal” feedback it is receiving from the vestibular system.
However, in the meantime, health care professionals worry about the following common situations that are associated with vertigo:
- Falls, unsteadiness, or balance issues
- Visual and/or auditory disturbances
- Headaches, migraines or fatigue
- Dizziness and/or faintness
- Nausea and/or vomiting
Rarely, an underlying cause of vertigo unrelated to the inner ear will be discovered and treated. More often, physical therapy is recommended to help the central nervous system adapt to the changes in the vestibular system and treat the symptoms to provide pain relief for the patient.
Vestibular Rehabilitation: Retrain the Brain, Senses, and Body
A physical therapist treats dizziness and balance issues with a method called vestibular rehabilitation. Vestibular rehabilitation helps to strengthen the vestibular system, retraining the brain to adapt differently to stimuli.
This training involves three parts: gaze stabilization, habituation, and balance training.
Gaze Stabilization
The human visual system accounts for a large part of the symptoms associated with dizziness. Gaze stabilization exercises involve fixing your vision on a certain point while doing various movements. This helps to train the vision, which limits a major cause of symptoms associated with balance disorders.
Habituation
Habituation involves doing specific movements or actions that cause symptoms. With help, over time, the brain learns how to handle those movements without causing symptoms anymore.
Balance Training
Finally, balance stabilization involves training the muscles of the body to hold you up. A large part of this type of exercise involves core strength and gait training. Core strength is the foundation for balance, and gait training helps to retrain your nervous system.
Physical Therapy Is An Effective Treatment for Vertigo
No matter the underlying cause of your vertigo, or the resulting symptoms, physical therapy can help you return to your normal life. The physical therapists at South Orange Rehabilitation & Wellness help patients find balance and heal from the symptoms of vertigo.
Your doctor will be pleased to know that you are avoiding the hazards of vertigo, while you will be happy to be able to return to your normal life, symptom-free. Find out what the physical therapists at South Orange Rehabilitation & Wellness can do for your vertigo today. Contact them today to make an appointment and start the process of recovery.
