Vertigo – did you know physiotherapists can fix this?

What is Vertigo?

Vertigo is a sensation of feeling dizzy, off balance, and nauseated when you move your head. People who have vertigo often describe the sensation that the room is spinning around them.

Vertigo is a very common condition and most people do not realize that physiotherapists are trained to fix this problem!

Vertigo is a condition that is caused in the middle ear, the correct terminology is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

BPPV occurs when crystals in the inner ear dislodge and float around in the canal, causing symptoms such as dizziness, off balance, nausea/vomiting, and the classic room spinning sensation when you turn your head in a particular direction.

Common causes of BPPV are:

Mild to severe head trauma,

Keeping the head in the same position for a prolonged period of time i.e. dentist or hairdresser

What to expect at a physiotherapy appointment for vertigo:

We will take a detailed history and then do a comprehensive assessment which will involve trying to bring on your vertigo symptoms. Don’t worry there is nothing to be worried about we will keep you very comfortable.

If the vertigo tests we perform are positive we will then move onto the repositioning treatment techniques. This involves moving your head and body into different positions to encourage the crystals to return back to their proper home.

If you suffer from true BPPV, these repositioning techniques are highly effective, mild to moderate cases of vertigo generally resolve after 1-4 sessions with your physiotherapist if done in quick succession i.e every second day.

You will be sent home with very strict instructions on what to do and not do, what position to sleep in to make sure the crystals stay where they need to after your physiotherapy appointment. A simple exercise will be given for you to do should you have another vertigo episode in between physiotherapy sessions.

Our team at Palm Beach Physiotherapy see people with vertigo regularly and have great success settling vertigo symptoms quickly. If you are suffering from vertigo, stop suffering and call us today to make an appointment with one our experienced physiotherapists on 07 5598 1222. You do not require a GP referral, you can simply call and make an appointment today!