Spinning Into Springtime: Here’s How Physical Therapy Can Put An End To Your Dizziness

Have you ever felt the world spinning around you when getting up, lying down, rolling in bed, bending forward to pick something up, or looking up at the sky? Are there times when you feel dizzy or a bit “off,” like you need to take an extra step to keep your balance? Do you ever feel that your eyes have difficulty keeping up with your head movement?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be dealing with an impairment of your vestibular system, and physical therapy may be able to help!

Dizziness is a common reason people visit urgent care, the emergency department, or a primary care office. Dizziness can feel scary and uncertain, and there are situations where consulting immediate care is warranted. However, other common reasons for dizziness related to the vestibular system may be treatable with specialized physical therapy. It can be confusing and overwhelming to sort through the possible causes and decide on the best treatment for your symptoms. Your physical therapist will take time to help you understand what may be causing your dizziness. Let’s cover a few key basics first.

Dizziness Creates A Fall Risk

Regardless of the cause, dizziness can cause loss of balance and falls, which may result in injuries such as sprains, broken bones, and concussions. The risk can be costly, create missed work, and take away from your life³.

What Is The Vestibular System?

The vestibular system is a component of your inner ear that helps you maintain balance. It communicates with the brain to process head motion and the forces of acceleration/deceleration and gravity¹. We cannot see the vestibular system by directly looking into the ear, so we must use specialized tests to gather information on its function.

Common Vestibular Diagnoses:

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: One of the most common causes of dizziness is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)¹. BPPV is commonly referred to as “crystals” or “vertigo.” Often, people will try to “tough it out” or find at-home solutions to put the crystals back into their place. While we do wish to promote independence, specialized physical therapy is essential in this situation to determine the location of the problem and provide technical and accurate treatment.

Uncompensated Vestibulopathy: Vestibular Weakness or “Hypofunction”: Infection, migraine, concussion, or Meniere’s Disease can affect the vestibular system’s function. In these situations, it may be necessary to screen for a vestibular weakness, also called “vestibular hypofunction.” Treatment for this condition involves Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT). These approaches are implemented to retrain the brain to compensate for vestibular loss, which can alleviate or eliminate dizziness²,³,⁴.

You Don’t Have To Live Your Life Dizzy!

Our goal at Athletico is to help you understand your cause of dizziness and provide an individualized approach to improve your quality of life. Our skilled physical therapists can develop a treatment plan that works best for your situation and meets your goals to get you back to your life! Schedule a free assessment with one of our vestibular-trained physical therapists today for more information.

Schedule a Free Assessment

*Per federal guidelines, beneficiaries of plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, VHA and other federally funded plans are not eligible for free assessments.

The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.

References:
1. “Dizziness.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 3 Dec. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dizziness/symptoms-causes/syc-20371787.
2. Gans, Richard E. “Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy: Diagnosis Based Strategies.” ENT & Audiology News, vol. 25, no. 5, 18 Nov. 2015, https://dizzy.com/wp-content/uploads/ENT-Audiology-News-_Gans-Rehabilitation.pdf. Accessed 27 Feb. 2024, pp. 77–79.
3. Gans, Richard, et al. “The cost of untreated vestibular conditions: the role of otolaryngology & rehabilitation.” Journal of Otolaryngology-ENT Research, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 11–13, https://dizzy.com/the-cost-of-untreated-vestibular-conditions-the-role-of-otolaryngology-rehabilitation/.
4. Whitney, Susan L., and Patrick J. Sparto. “Principles of vestibular physical therapy rehabilitation.” NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 29, no. 2, 19 Oct. 2011, pp. 157–166, https://doi.org/10.3233/nre-2011-0690.