Finding Vertigo Relief With Physical Therapy
Does it ever feel like the room is moving–even though you’re standing perfectly still? You’re likely experiencing vertigo, an unnerving and often debilitating condition. If vertigo has you feeling out of control, physical therapy at Full Potential Physical Therapy will help you regain your balance.
Although people sometimes use the two terms interchangeably, vertigo is distinctly different from dizziness. Dizziness is a feeling of being lightheaded. Vertigo, in contrast, is a spinning or moving sensation that occurs when you’re otherwise standing still.
In addition to that false sense of motion, vertigo may be accompanied by unsteadiness, difficulty walking, or blurred vision.
Vertigo typically originates from inner ear or central nervous system issues. Individuals with pre-existing health conditions, such as migraines, diabetes, and vestibular disorders, are more susceptible to vertigo.
Severe vertigo can profoundly impact your day-to-day life, causing you to experience difficulty with balance, coordination, and spatial orientation. The sensation of spinning can lead to nausea, vomiting, and an increased risk of falls. Additionally, vertigo can impair concentration, reducing work performance and causing difficulty engaging in everyday activities.
At Full Potential Physical Therapy, our team will work to address the underlying cause of your vertigo to ensure we aren’t simply treating symptoms–and so you can see lasting results. We’ll help you restore balance, alleviate symptoms, and regain control over your life.
Contact our Holland, MI physical clinic and schedule your comprehensive evaluation today!
Conditions That Can Cause Vertigo
Identifying the source of your vertigo is crucial in providing effective treatment. By treating the condition and not simply the vertigo itself, you’ll find the results you’re looking for.
Because the inner ear plays a significant role in maintaining our balance and spatial orientation, vertigo is often a primary symptom of several inner ear issues. Here are some of the most common:
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): BPPV occurs when calcium carbonate crystals within the inner ear become dislodged, causing brief episodes of vertigo triggered by changes in head position. These episodes typically last less than a minute, but they can be intense and often affect balance.
- Labyrinthitis: This inner ear infection leads to inflammation of the labyrinth, the system of fluid-filled canals responsible for your balance. Labyrinthitis can cause sudden, severe vertigo and other symptoms such as hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
- Meniere’s disease: Meniere’s disease is a chronic disorder of the inner ear characterized by recurrent episodes of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness in the affected ear. The exact cause is unknown but likely involves an abnormal fluid buildup in the inner ear.
Our physical therapy clinic in Holland, MI adopts a results-oriented approach to treating vertigo. We’ll look at your full range of symptoms and work to identify which condition or impairment might be causing the vertigo. That way, we can provide you with the most effective treatment option.
Call us today at (616) 392-2172 to get started!
How Physical Therapy Will Restore Your Balance and Relieve Your Vertigo
Our team of physical therapists is here to help you overcome your vertigo so you can get back to a healthy, active lifestyle. To accomplish this goal, we’ll provide a comprehensive physical assessment and personalized treatment plan that addresses the root cause of your vertigo.
During your initial assessment, our expert physical therapists will delve into your medical history, taking the time to understand your symptoms and condition. We’ll then perform movement screens, gait analysis, balance, and coordination tests to pinpoint any underlying issues contributing to your vertigo.
Once we completely understand your condition or impairments, we’ll develop a treatment customized to your needs. We pull from several evidence-based approaches, including the following:
Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT)
VRT helps retrain your brain to process balance information more effectively, reducing vertigo symptoms and restoring stability. Our therapists will design individualized exercises targeting your balance and coordination challenges.
Canalith Repositioning Maneuvers (CRM)
Our skilled therapists perform these gentle yet effective movements to help dislodge inner ear debris causing vertigo. By repositioning these particles, our therapists can alleviate symptoms and prevent a recurrence.
Gaze Stabilization Exercises
These exercises strengthen the eye muscles and improve coordination between your eyes and brain. Our therapists will guide you through targeted activities that enhance visual focus during head movements, reducing vertigo and improving balance.
Balance Retraining Exercises
These exercises challenge your balance and coordination systems. Our therapists will customize your program to address your unique needs, helping you build confidence and regain control over your movements.
We know you’re tired of worrying about another episode of unanticipated vertigo. That’s why our team is here to get you the results you want and need through our personalized treatment plans.
Say goodbye to vertigo. Schedule a consultation with one of our experts today!
Related Case Studies
Full Potential is highly trained in the treatment of BPPV. It can be treated with repositioning maneuvers that help guide the inner ear crystal back into the correct position. Usually, there is a noticeable difference right away and resolution within just a few treatments!
A Better Life is Only Four Steps Away
Physical therapy can be an unfamiliar experience for many. To orient new patients to the process, we have divided their rehab journey into four segments called “The Four Phases of Getting Better.” It is important to note that while there are four phases utilized over the course of your care, they are not totally separate. They move gradually toward greater strengthening and function, which is the end goal to return confidently to the life you desire to live.
1
Pain Relief
The first focus in getting better is pain relief. After your evaluation, your physical therapist will use hands-on techniques or manual therapy, light therapeutic exercise, and education on how to modify your activity and posture in order to give you more control over your pain. In this stage, modalities like ice, heat, myofascial release, electric stimulation and kinesiotape may be used.
2
Improve Mobility/Flexibility
The second step in this method is to improve mobility and flexibility. Your therapist will design a progressive program of range of motion and light stretching to restore mobility and reduce pain.
3
Improve Strength/Control
In the third step of this method, muscle weakness will be addressed to help you maintain the gains and momentum you achieve through phases one and two. A thorough strengthening process is the step that gives results that last, and this will prepare you for more functional training – the final step.
4
Functional Training
Now that your pain is resolved and you have the necessary mobility and strength, your program can be advanced into functional training. Whether you are returning to work, returning to life after post-op rehabilitation, getting back into recreation or sports, or simply returning to the activities of daily life, this step helps ensure your success after graduation and empowers you to be confident in your abilities again.
Reach Your Full Potential & Live Pain-Free!
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