Holistic Approach to Vertigo: How Physiotherapy Can Address the Root Causes

February 20th, 2024

Amanda dreaded her vertigo attacks. She would be going about her day–shopping, leading a meeting at work–when it would suddenly feel like the entire world was spinning around her. The attacks felt random, and Amanda found herself staying home more and more. But then she learned about physiotherapy for vertigo.

At first, she was surprised: like many people, Amanda had no idea that physiotherapy could help manage vertigo. But during her initial visit, Amanda learned that her vertigo attacks weren’t random at all. In fact, she had BPPV, a type of vertigo caused by crystal deposits in her ears.

With one visit to a physiotherapy clinic, Amanda discovered that her vertigo attacks occurred when she moved her head in certain ways that jostled those crystals around. With the help of her therapist, she identified which movements were the triggers, dramatically cutting down her attacks.

Her therapist also performed certain maneuvers to help dislodge the crystals and worked with Amanda on relaxation techniques for when she did experience a vertigo attack. Now, Amanda is back to her old self, visiting friends and checking into work without fear.

At Raynen Therapies, we understand how unnerving vertigo can be. But we also understand vertigo does have an underlying cause–and by addressing it, you can more easily manage your symptoms.

If, like Amanda, you want to better understand–and thus better manage–your vertigo, call our Scarborough clinic today! We’ll help you attack vertigo at your source.

Understanding Vertigo: What It Is, What It Feels Like

Many people conflate vertigo and dizziness, using the terms interchangeably. In reality, vertigo is a specific type of dizziness.

“Dizziness” is an umbrella term referring to any feeling of lightheadedness, wooziness, or unsteadiness. Vertigo refers to a particular sensation in which either you or the space you’re in feels like it’s spinning around. It’s sometimes accompanied by additional symptoms depending on the source of the vertigo, including the following:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Sweating
  • Rapid back-and-forth eye movements (nystagmus)
  • Ear problems, such as ringing in the ears or hearing loss

However, it’s important to remember that vertigo isn’t really a condition in and of itself–it’s a symptom of another underlying condition, usually an impairment of your vestibular system, which controls your body’s balance, stability, and spatial awareness.

Most people with vertigo have peripheral vertigo: vertigo rooted in the peripheral vestibular system. The peripheral vestibular system consists of structures and canals in your inner ear.

Central vertigo is more rare. It’s rooted in the central vestibular system in your cerebellum and generally results from conditions that affect your brain, like stroke or multiple sclerosis.

A Few Common Causes of Peripheral Vertigo

The first step to successfully managing vertigo is identifying the condition causing it. Once you rule out any issues with your central vestibular system, you can look to your peripheral vestibular system–your inner ear–for answers.

Here are a few conditions that can cause peripheral vertigo:

  • Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): This was the condition that Amanda discovered was causing her vertigo, and she isn’t alone: over 6 million Canadians live with the condition, too.
  • Meniere’s Disease: This inner ear condition occurs when fluid builds up in the ear, causing vertigo and other symptoms, including tinnitus (ringing in the ear), hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear.
  • Labyrinthitis: When the inner ear becomes inflamed, it can result in vertigo, loss of balance, and occasionally hearing loss.
  • Vestibular Neuronitis: Similar to labyrinthitis, this is another type of inner ear inflammation that causes vertigo without hearing loss.

Physiotherapy Techniques to Address Vertigo at its Root

At Raynen Therapies, we’ll not only help you identify the source of your vertigo, but we’ll develop a personalized plan to help address and manage it, too!

Vestibular rehabilitation is a whole-person approach to managing your symptoms through targeted, personalized exercises designed to address the concerns of people with vertigo. A vestibular rehabilitation program typically includes:

  • Surface orientation exercises to help calm the nervous system and improve postural control
  • Vision and gaze stability exercises to help improve eye movement control, which helps with balance
  • Habituation exercises to help you become accustomed to the movements that cause your symptoms. By “habituating” to these movements, you’ll experience fewer symptoms over time.
  • Balance training exercises to help you improve your body’s overall balance system. We might include dedicated balance challenges or programs like a regular walking regimen or Tai Chi.

For people with BPPV, we’ll likely utilize repositioning maneuvers, certain head or body movements that can dislodge the tiny crystal deposits that contribute to BPPV in the first place. There are several maneuvers, with the Epley maneuver being one of the most common; we’ll let you know which will work best for your condition.

We also incorporate patient education into your treatment. We can show you strategies for managing a vertigo attack, plus information about stress management, proper sleep, and other overall wellness tips to help you manage your condition.

Got Vertigo? Try Physiotherapy

Vertigo can make day-to-day living a challenge. Fortunately, physiotherapy for vertigo offers a wealth of potential solutions that the Raynen Therapies team will tailor to suit your underlying condition and overall goals.

Ready to get started? Request an initial consultation at our Scarborough clinic today. We’ll review your symptoms, identify a potential source of your vertigo, and set you on the path to wellness!

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