Feeling Dizzy When Bending Over
You need to bend over multiple times in a day. From wearing your socks to sitting at a desk or making a bed. Unfortunately, feeling dizzy when bending over can disrupt your day, making it difficult to carry out your daily tasks.
Sometimes, your dizziness may result from you standing up suddenly from a sitting or lying position. At other times, it may be due to a problem with your vestibular system. Fortunately, your physical therapist can monitor your symptoms to determine the root cause of your condition.
Read further to discover the common causes of vertigo when bending over and how your balance therapy in Scottsdale, AZ, can help.
What Is Vertigo?
Vertigo is when you feel as if you or your surroundings are spinning, even though you are stationary. This condition can make you feel off-balance and increase your risk of falls. Usually, vertigo is a symptom of an underlying medical condition.
It is important to note that vertigo and dizziness may seem similar, but they are different, dizziness is more of an encompassing term for feeling lightheaded, faint, off-balance, or woozy. Vertigo, on the other hand, is a specific type of dizziness that feels as if you or your surroundings are spinning,
Symptoms Of Vertigo
Although vertigo may be a symptom of certain conditions, it still comes with its accompanying symptoms. Other vertigo symptoms include;
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Balance issue
- Hearing loss
- Motion sickness
- Migraines
Causes Of Vertigo
If you feel dizzy when bending over, it may be due to one or more of the following reseasons;
- Poor circulation
- Low blood sugar
- Low blood pressure
- Dehydration
- Anemia
- Inner ear problems
- Meniere’s disease
- Vestibular neuritis
- Head injury
- Multiple sclerosis
Types Of Vertigo
There are two primary types of vertigo, depending on which of your nervous systems is affected. They include;
Central Vertigo
Central vertigo affects your central nervous system or brain. This type of vertigo is less common, and it occurs when your brain suffers an infection, traumatic injury, or stroke. It also comes with severe symptoms such as difficulty walking, severe instability, slurred speech, and problems focusing the eyes.
Peripheral Vertigo
Peripheral vertigo affects your inner ear. The inner ear has the vestibular system, which controls balance. A problem with this system can lead to dizziness, nausea, and loss of bloody fluids. The common causes of peripheral vertigo include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), head injury, Meniere disease, and labyrinthitis.
How To Manage Vertigo Symptoms At Home
Managing vertigo symptoms at home can help reduce dizziness and lower your risk of falls. At-home remedies for vertigo include;
- Stay hydrated. Drinking at least 8 cups of water in a day if you are active or sweat a lot
- Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeinated drinks
- Slowly get out of bed or from a lying position
- Get enough sleep and rest
How Can Physical Therapy Help With Vertigo Symptoms?
Physical therapy for vertigo focuses on addressing the underlying cause of the condition. You should visit your physical therapist for vestibular rehab in Scottsdale if your dizziness persists after the at-home remedies. Also, seek immediate medical attention if you experience accompanying symptoms like increased heart rate, migraines, and double vision.
Your physical therapist will monitor your symptoms and triggers to create a treatment plan. The treatment plan may include vestibular rehabilitation or canalith repositioning maneuvers, depending on the cause of your condition.
Vestibular Rehabilitation
Vestibular rehabilitation is a technique used in physical therapy in Scottsdale. It helps address problems with the vestibular system. Treatment may include habituation, gaze stabilization, and balance training exercises to improve head-body movements relative to gravity and how they send signals to the brain.
Canalith Repositioning Maneuvers
The inner ear contains tiny calcium crystals, or otoconia, which help the body maintain balance by sensing movement and gravity. When these particles become loose from their normal location, they can move into other parts of the ear, causing dizziness whenever you bend over.
Fortunately, canalith repositioning maneuvers can return these loose particles to their proper position to relieve dizziness symptoms. These maneuvers include;
Brandt-Daroff Exercise
- Sit upright on the edge of a sofa or bed.
- Turn your head to the left at 45 degrees or as far as is comfortable.
- Lower the right side of your body while keeping your head in that position
- Hold this position for 30 seconds or till your dizziness stops
- Slowly return to the starting position and turn your head back to the center
- Repeat the exercise on the other side
Epley Maneuver
- Sit on the edge of a bed
- Turn your head to the right at 45 degrees or as far as is comfortable
- Quickly lie back until your shoulders are on the pillow
- Maintain your position for 30 seconds after your dizziness subsides
- Turn your head till it is 45 degrees to the left without lifting it
- Maintain this position for 30 seconds
- Turn your head and body another 90 degrees into the bed till you are lying on your left side.
- Maintain this position for 30 seconds
- Slowly sit up
- Repeat on the other side
Foster Maneuver
- Kneel and place your hands on the floor
- Tilt your head up and back. Wait for your dizziness to pass
- Place your forehead on the floor and tuck your chin towards your knees
- Turn your head by 45 degrees in the direction of the affected ear to face your elbow
- Hold this position for 30 seconds
- Keep your head at 45 degrees and raise it until it is level with your back and shoulders.
- Hold the position for 30 seconds
- Raise your head to the fully upright position
Semont Maneuver
- Sit on the edge of a bed with your legs hanging over the side
- Turn your head about 45 degrees away from the affected side
- Quickly move to a lying down position on the affected side. You should be looking at the ceiling. If you experience dizziness, maintain that position till it passes
- Once the dizziness passes, move back to the sitting position and quickly onto your other side. You should be looking at the floor. If you experience dizziness, maintain that position till it passes
- After the dizziness passes, move back into the sitting position
Conclusion
Home remedies may help relieve dizziness if the primary cause is dehydration or lack of sleep. However, for more severe and persistent dizziness, you must visit your physical therapist at FYZICAL South Scottsdale for a diagnosis. Fortunately, they will monitor your symptoms and develop a tailored treatment plan to address your condition.
Schedule an appointment with us today!