Treatment for Vertigo from Specialist Physiotherapists

Vestibular Physiotherapy is the application of specific maneuvers that will allow the ear rocks to move from their lodged position into a more favorable position where they can flow freely. Sometimes these treatments can initially stimulate the dizziness more but often by the end of treatment it will have subsided quite significantly.

Treatment for vertigo needs to be concentrated on the side that is causing the dizziness.

Other reasons that may be the cause of some dizziness and which may cause the ear rocks in the canals to move and get stuck may be from a head or ear injury, surgery to the ear, some types of brain injuries and some degeneration in the inner ear structures.

Some people are diagnosed with a form of Meniere’s disease which can give similar symptoms, although Meniere’s disease can last for a few years before the person goes into remission. Those with Meniere’s disease can be left with symptoms of ringing in the ears, which is different from other forms of vertigo and dizziness.

There may be other causes of dizziness and BPPV, which may include inflammation in the inner ear and the balance organs, neck pain or cervical spine disorders. These causes need to be ruled out before treatment can begin.

 

What’s the Difference Between Vertigo and Dizziness?

These are both symptoms and not the names of any disease. Vertigo is just a symptom of BPPV.

Vertigo is actually the symptom of spinning or whirling around that is caused when the little ear rocks get stuck in the balance organs in your inner ear.

Vertigo can also be a symptom of other disorders including neck pain or some abnormalities or disturbances to the vestibular nerve. The vestibular nerve is the nerve that integrates your sensory stimuli and movement so that your brain knows where the body is in space. When your head moves, the labyrinth in your inner ear, which is made up of the canals then transmits the information to the vestibular nerve and the vestibular nerve transmits this information to the brain stem and the cerebellum.

 

How do You Know if you Have BPPV?

You may get a sudden episode of vertigo, you may experience sudden dizziness or nausea, moving your head may cause you to get dizzy, or your eyes may go into a flickering, which is called a nystagmus.  Even rolling over in bed or just looking up can trigger dizziness or severe vertigo in some cases.

Because dizziness and vertigo are so common, it’s very important to have BPPV diagnosed correctly. At our clinic in Brisbane we have vertigo specialists who can do this, or your GP may use several tests to be able to diagnose the type of Vertigo you have and which side it’s occurring on.

How Many Vertigo Treatments is Enough?

We find that in our clinic a lot of BPPV symptoms have gone away after only two treatments. In the few days following a treatment it’s important that the patient takes good care of themselves to ensure the little ear rocks do not go back into the canal where they were stuck. Preventative methods include:

• sleeping propped up at a 45 degree angle
• Avoiding sudden movements of the head and neck
• No bending over
• No picking up heavy objects
• No looking up into the sky

After vertigo treatment in Brisbane we get our patients to sit for about 10 or 15 minutes just to ensure the little ear rocks are moving in the way that they should and do not fall back into the spot which is causing the vertigo and dizziness.

Following a bout of BPPV your balance may be a little bit compromised so it may be important to do some balance exercises afterwards. There are a lot of very easy balance exercises that can be given in a home program or if you know that you’re not going to be able to do exercises at home, we offer balance classes at our Graceville clinic and in Sherwood

So, if you have a problem with any dizziness related or BPPV then come and see one of our physiotherapists who are experts at providing vestibular physio in Brisbane.