Physical Therapy Highlight: Dizziness

How can you describe your dizziness symptoms? Something so burdensome and so destructive that it can affect your daily function. It may be a feeling of spinning, tilting, or being off balance. Many people describe it as vertigo. With vertigo, most people feel better after not moving their heads. Lying still and not moving your head can delay recovery, as the vestibular system is always in a spontaneous rhythmic motion. When there is no movement associated, systems are not communicating appropriately.

Causes of dizziness:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV); this is something physical therapy can help with. Sometimes, BPPV recovers independently, but other times, vestibular rehabilitation is essential to recover fully. BPPV is developed when the Otoconia, also known as the ear crystals, are displaced within the three canals of the inner ear. Episodes of vertigo are brief and are initiated by positional movement. Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting. I have seen people have BPPV for a day up to a few years on and off without the proper treatment. As physical therapists, we will provide an extensive evaluation and treatment specific to your symptoms. Treatment consists of placing the patient in positions to help relocate the crystals back to their home, known as the Epley Maneuver.

Cervicogenic Dizziness is unsteadiness associated with neck pain, limited motion, and headaches. It occurs mostly after a neck injury, such as whiplash or a fall. The injury causes abnormal input from damaged neck receptors. The muscular imbalance applies abnormal tension to the anatomy. Rehabilitation will help reduce muscle tension, improve fascial tightness, and work on posture, which also affects spinal anatomy.

Vestibular migraines are headaches that last four hours to three days. Symptoms include vertigo, nausea, light sensitivity, tinnitus, pulsing, and visual aura. Rehabilitation treatment may help with habituation exercises, muscle imbalances, gait, and balance training.

Meniere’s Disease is an accumulation and poor drainage of inner ear fluid. Symptoms include fullness of the ear, hearing impairment, and tinnitus, followed by intense rotational vertigo and nausea.

Vestibular neuritis is inflammation of the inner ear nerve caused by a viral infection. Symptoms may include an acute onset of vertigo, nausea, and feeling unsteady. Your primary physician should address this for treatment. Residual symptoms may continue, and rehabilitation treatment will help with vestibular adaptation exercises and balance exercises, depending on the patient’s needs.

The Balance System:

Physical therapy can assist with injury prevention, post-operative rehabilitation, balance, etc. Your balance consists of three systems: vision, proprioception, and vestibular. The proprioception system lets us perceive our location and movement and is aware of our body’s actions. The vestibular system is your inner ear that detects positional movements. On occasion, these three systems do not communicate at the same level. There is a feeling of dizziness when there is a miscommunication, and physical therapists can help strengthen each of these systems. There is a lot of research that supports this. Trust the process and be patient.

This is only a short list of what may cause Vertigo. If you have further questions, please contact your primary doctor.

Thank you to the folks of Whitehall, where patients become family. Please call 406-723-2980 for an appointment. We look forward to meeting your needs.