Vertigo Treatment with Vestibular Physical Therapy

You sit up from a long night’s rest, you throw your legs over the edge of the bed, and you realize the world is spinning around you. No, you’re not in a dream, you are suffering from vertigo. And unfortunately, for most people vertigo packs its biggest punch in the morning.

Maybe you finally muster the courage to walk to the bathroom, but you are walking into walls and furniture because you can’t keep your balance. You think you’re going to try to go to work, but you need a shower. You try to wash your hair, but you can't.  You end up so dizzy, you fall to the floor. The good news is you are not alone.

It is estimated that approximately 40% of Americans will suffer from vertigo during their lifetime.¹ And of those impacted by vertigo, the median duration was 2 weeks, requiring an interruption in daily activities and consultation with a healthcare provider.² You can hope that you are one of the lucky ones who only have a few days of vertigo, or you can get treatment now and start feeling better (Call Today, Get Seen Today).*

Symptoms of Vertigo

So, what does vertigo feel like? The most common way people describe vertigo is as a feeling of the room spinning around them. Other common descriptions of vertigo including feeling tilted, unbalanced, or pulled in one direction.

The dizziness and feeling like the room is spinning are the primary symptoms of vertigo, but you may also experience nausea or vomiting, headaches, sweating, or ringing in the ears (tinnitus). 

Additionally, because of the connection between your ears, eyes, and brain, someone looking at your eyes may see rapid movement side to side or up and down. This nystagmus is involuntary, it’s something you cannot control. While it might not seem like it, nystagmus with vertigo can actually be a really good thing. Your nystagmus pattern actually tells your vestibular rehabilitation therapist how they need to treat you. 

Options of Treatment for Vertigo

The Physical Therapists at FYZICAL Oklahoma City are experts in vestibular rehabilitation. Our PTs are specially trained to deal with Vertigo. We see and treat patients with dizziness and imbalance every day. And it is for this very reason that we are confident we can reduce your dizziness as well.

Before you commit to vestibular rehabilitation in Oklahoma City for your vertigo, what are your options for treatment of vertigo?

Medication

Medications, like Meclizine are commonly prescribed when you are dealing with acute (short-term) vertigo. These medications, however, are not a fix for your vertigo. They are simply a way to dull your vestibular system so your brain doesn’t respond to these signals. It is common for people to experience drowsiness,³ or a sense of brain fog and it is recommended that you not drive while taking these medications. You’re not dizzy, but you’re not able to do much else either. Doctors are giving it to you in hopes that your Vertigo will spontaneously go away.

Oh, and prolonged use of anticholinergic medications like Meclizine are linked to dementia.⁴ (See also Vestibular.org.) While medication is often a first line or “conservative care,” the risks with medication are real and you should consider what other options you might have available.

Surgery

When it comes to acute cases of vertigo, surgery is rarely a consideration. In general, surgery is really only considered under very specific cases and after other more commonly successful treatments, like vestibular rehabilitation have been attempted.⁵

Additionally, the success of any surgery isn’t guaranteed. So, starting with less invasive procedures can really relieve your dizziness and vertigo, now.

Vestibular Rehabilitation

Vestibular rehabilitation is a discipline within physical therapy that addresses dizziness and imbalance. Vertigo is a complex condition, and while you might have seen a Youtube Video on an Epley maneuver, it is best left to the professionals.  If you don't know which ear or canal your dizziness is coming from and you don't guess correctly, doing the wrong manuever can actually make you more dizzy.  

Why not try a home remedy for vertigo?

Vestibular Rehabilitation is actually made up of two primary components, reducing your dizziness and improving your balance. To reduce your dizziness we need to do some canalith repositioning maneuvers. To improve your balance is where the heavy lifting of vestibular rehabilitation occurs, and where the Physical Therapists at FYZICAL Oklahoma City are experts.

Get Rid of Dizziness - Canalith Repositioning Maneuvers (CRMs)

To determine whether you are having BPPV (the most commonly seen form of vertigo), we have to do some positional testing. The Dix-Hallpike and the Supine Roll (fun names, right?) are the two primary tests your physical therapist is going to use to determine how to treat your vertigo. 

Remember when we said nystagmus is a good thing? That is because of these positional tests. These positional tests are meant to evoke nystagmus that your vestibular physical therapist can see and determine which canalith repositioning maneuver to treat you with.

Still not convinced, there are over 50 different canalith repositioning maneuvers we use to treat vertigo. Your nystagmus tells us whether you are having vertigo in your right or left ear, and which of the three semicircular canals are affected. That helps narrow those 50 CRMs down to just a handful of the most effective for your condition. Without checking your nystagmus, the wrong canalith repositioning maneuver can make your dizziness worse or last longer. 

Improve Balance - Vestibular Rehabilitation with a Physical Therapist

Once your vertigo is cleared up so that you are no longer dizzy, many people think they are back to normal. The reality is, once you have vertigo you are at an increased risk for falling. One of your 3 primary sensory balance systems is compromised. 

Just like your nystagmus telling your physical therapist which CRMs to perform, there are ways to measure your balance deficits. Fortunately for you FYZICAL has figured out how to do it really well. Using our immersive virtual reality system we can look at how your vestibular system is syncing with your visual and somatosensory systems. From there your Oklahoma City Physical Therapist will develop a plan suited to your deficits. 

You already know what it was like when you first got vertigo. Now, imagine what it will be like the morning after you graduate from vestibular rehab. You wake up and you're not dizzy, you move throughout your house with ease, maybe even a little lighter on your feet. You can breathe easy knowing that you are not likely to fall, that you can drive without fear of an accident, and you can get back to doing the things you love.  

FYZICAL… The Place You Go for Vertigo.

-FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City 

FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City provides vestibular physical therapy in Lakeside, The Village, Nichols Hills and surrounding NW Oklahoma City. Our physical therapists are specially trained to treat all types of vestibular dysfunction including vertigo and BPPV. Our practitioners take a patient-centered individualized approach that focuses on your health needs. If you are unsure about your dizziness, or you want to see the FYZICAL Difference for yourself, schedule a free consultation today.

Resources: 

1.     https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/vertigo
2.     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2117684/
3.     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560645/
4.     Anticholinergic Drugs Like Meclizine Can Lead to Dementia
5.     Surgical Treatment of Vertigo – Dr. Timothy C. Hain

*When calling for Vertigo evaluation, we will provide flexible scheduling that allows us to get most patients evaluated within one business day.