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Did You Know: The most common inner ear-related balance disorder - benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) - affects 1 out of 1,000 people per year. If you’re struggling with dizziness and vertigo as a result of this or any other balance disorder, we want to help.
In our 25 years of experience, David Physical Therapy has helped countless patients regain normalcy through treatment and management of their balance disorders and symptoms. If you’re working to work with our team of specialists and to find your footing once more, please contact us to schedule an appointment with today!
This line of care is a specific type of physical therapy that focuses on minimizing the effects of imbalance disorders, particularly those that present with the symptom of vertigo. Exercises often incorporate head movement, repositioning, and gait stabilization, with the goal of allowing patients to return to a safe and active lifestyle.
Neurological therapy is meant to help patients combat the effects of damage within their central nervous system, i.e. the brain and spinal cord. Vestibular physical therapy, on the other hand, helps patients suffering from damage to their vestibular system. This system is found within the inner ear, and it's necessary to help our brains process information about motion, head position, and spatial orientation.
Symptoms of damage to the vestibular system or of a balance disorder often include:
While a number of issues can affect the vestibular system, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common issue. BPPV occurs when tiny crystals of calcium carbonate within the ear come loose, move through the ear canals, and clump together in the inner ear. While this substance is not dangerous by any means, once it clumps together, it causes the fluid of the inner ear to "slosh" - even when you stop moving. That creates the sense that you’re moving even though you are still, and that leads to vertigo and dizziness.
Certain prescription drugs and other treatments can make these symptoms more manageable. However, you will need to discuss medication side effects with your doctor, as many of the medications that provide immediate relief from vertigo and dizziness cause drowsiness as a side effect. Depending on your condition, we may also prescribe vertigo exercises, which involve specific head position maneuvers and balance therapy. Certain maneuvers of the head can help to resolve BPPV, while balance therapy (another name for vestibular rehabilitation and physical therapy) can help with other inner ear conditions.