How can Physical Therapy help Vertigo?

October 11, 2022

Vertigo is a common condition that results in dizziness and feeling like you or the world around you are spinning. There are many types of vertigo, however the most common is BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). You may experience one, a few, or many of the symptoms associated with BPPV. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea/vomiting, lightheadedness, tinnitus (ringing in your ears), pressure in your eyes, ears, or head, headaches, sensitivity to light and sound, double/blurred vision, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, balance issues, and problems walking. Symptoms typically worsen with rolling in bed, sitting up, quickly changing positions, and moving your head and/or eyes. BPPV can greatly impact your daily life and physical therapy can aide in your recovery.

Your physical therapist will perform a series of tests to determine the cause/trigger of your dizziness/vertigo. Most of the tests are performed in a sitting position involving movement of your head, eyes, and trunk. Specific positional tests are performed in sitting, side-lying, or while rolling to figure out which area of your inner ear is mostly affected. Your vestibular system is located in your inner ear and is responsible for telling your brain where your body is in relation to the world around you. Often, this system stops working properly, resulting in dizziness and other vertigo symptoms. The exact cause of BPPV may not be known for each person, however sinus/ear infections, trauma, Meniere’s disease, and aging are all possible factors.

Physical therapy helps retrain your brain, muscles, nerves, balance system, and inner ear to function properly which helps to decrease and eventually resolve your symptoms. You will be prescribed exercises to complete at home which will speed up the recovery process. You will also be provided with education specific to your type of vertigo that will decrease occurrence of symptoms as most people have isolated triggers. Usually, physical therapy can significantly reduce your issues and resume life as normal within 2-8 treatments depending on the severity of your symptoms. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Witte Physical Therapy if you are experiencing dizziness or vertigo related problems to get back to living your life.