Professional Physical Therapy for Vertigo

Vertigo can be a very disorienting condition to go through. In the more extreme episodes, it can be almost debilitating. It is a condition characterized by a sense that everything around the victim is spinning crazily. It is often the result of some underlying problem occurring in the inner ear, where your whole sense of balance is centered. Vertigo most often affects older people, although it is possible for people of all ages to suffer from it. If you have a problem with vertigo, one of the best things you can do is to seek professional physical therapy for vertigo.

Symptoms of Vertigo

If you’ve had episodes of vertigo before, you’ll most likely recognize the onset of another one. However, if it’s something new that you haven’t experienced in the past, you should look for the following symptoms:

• a significant change in how alert you are
• tingling sensation in the arms, legs, or hands
• sudden weakness in the arms, legs, or hands
• sudden inability to walk
• blurred vision or double vision
• difficulty with speech

What triggers vertigo?

There are several triggers for vertigo, and you’ll probably find that yours is mostly consistent. An inner ear infection can cause vertigo because the inner ear is the balance center for the body. Migraines or certain types of tumors, like acoustic neuromas, are also known triggers for vertigo. Any procedure involving surgery on the inner ear may cause nerves to be damaged, leading to vertigo and dizziness.

Any form of head injury that causes damage to the inner ear might also be a trigger for you. You could have a hole in your inner ear, and that’s another possibility for causing vertigo. In some cases, having a stroke can also trigger an episode of vertigo. As you can see, most of the triggers for vertigo involve some form of damage to the inner ear. So, if you’ve sustained such trauma, you should be on the lookout for other effects of the injury.

How can physical therapy help?

In part, the treatment program developed for you will depend on what caused your vertigo. The goal in most instances will be to get you back on your feet again while also managing the symptoms brought on by vertigo. In many cases, one form of treatment will consist of doing specific head and neck exercises and motions. Initially, your therapist will instruct you on how to perform these, and then you can continue doing them at home.

There are also other exercises you can do which will help to minimize the symptoms you’re experiencing. Whenever certain motions or activities trigger your disorder, your therapist will show you how to complete them so that they won’t provoke an episode. If some activities make you dizzy, your therapist will help you work through these situations until you learn how to cope with them on your own.

We have professional physical therapists on staff at Wolke Chiropractic & Rehabilitation that can get you started on physical therapy designed to provide vertigo relief. Contact us today for for a FREE initial consultation.