VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION THERAPY IN MISSISSAUGA, ETOBICOKE, OAKVILLE & BURLINGTON

What does vestibular mean?

Vestibular refers to our vestibular system, located in our inner ear. This is one of our crucial body systems which gives us our sensory ability to control, detect, and coordinate changes in our eyes, head, and overall body movements. Essentially, it gives us our balance, something we tend to take for granted until we don’t have it. Within the inner ear, we have different mechanisms for detecting motions of the head, allowing us to know where our head is located and oriented in space (ex. Are we moving forward or backward? Is our head tilted or rotated to one side?). The body then uses this information to send signals to our muscles, correcting our posture and our eye movements.

The key functions of the vestibular system are:

1. Vision stabilization: For example, your ability to keep your eyes on a target, especially while moving. A problem with this system results in blurry vision or losing track of things in your sight
2. Balance and equilibrium: Your ability to stay upright, oriented, and in control. A complex feedback loop occurs between the sensory information from your body, processing by the brain, and then corrections sent to the muscles to maintain a constant state of balance and equilibrium

What does an impaired vestibular system look like?

The common symptoms of a vestibular problem are:

• Dizziness
• Vertigo (world is spinning)
• Unsteadiness
• Worsening of symptoms with movements, especially of the head
• Visual symptoms (ex. Blurry vision, vision “jumping”)
• Auditory symptoms (ex. Ear fullness, ringing, hearing loss)
• Nausea/vomiting
• Headaches

The combination of symptoms will differ depending on the cause or condition of the vestibular issue. In general, dizziness, vertigo or losing your balance are hallmark signs of a vestibular problem.

What is vestibular rehabilitation therapy?

Vestibular rehabilitation is a specialized physiotherapy treatment specifically for individuals with vestibular disorders or deficits in their vestibular system. It involves an assessment to determine the cause of the symptoms and whether it is related to a vestibular problem. While dizziness, vertigo, and balance issues are seen often in vestibular problems, there are other medical causes that could be producing those symptoms. Once the problem has been established as vestibular, different techniques and exercises will be employed to treat the issue.

Common vestibular disorders include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), vestibular neuritis and post-traumatic vertigo. These disorders lead to symptoms such as vertigo, dizziness and balance dysfunction. Even individuals with the same disorder may have differing symptoms and differing severity. As a result, treatments are personalized to each patient.

Some vestibular disorders, such as Vestibular Neuritis, might have an acute phase with huge deficits and disability, then a chronic phase where you recover some, but not 100% of your function. It is important to still undergo vestibular rehabilitation to regain your full function and guard against future episodes. Finally, vestibular function tends to decay over time as we age. Regular training is integral and recommended for general health and for fall prevention.

What does a vestibular session look like?

In vestibular rehabilitation, a problem-oriented approach is used in which exercises are customized to address your specific needs. Your physiotherapist will first do a comprehensive examination to identify the type of vestibular disorder that you are suffering from. Then, an exercise program is designed based on the type of vestibular disorder and the deficits that you have. This could include habituation exercises (doing the movement that causes your symptoms in a progressively harder approach), or gaze stabilization exercises for dizziness and vision blurring. It may also include different types of balance training if necessary.

For benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), the treatment will be very different and specific depending upon which ear canal is involved. Different repositioning exercises are used such as Epley’s maneuver, Dix-Hallpike maneuver and Brandt-Daroff technique. Luckily, with treatment, BPPV can resolve in just 1-2 sessions.

Along with these exercises, education is a very important part of vestibular rehabilitation. Your Registered Physiotherapist will provide the relevant information regarding your condition. They will explain how to deal with the difficulties due to the disorder, and walk you through the dos and don’ts. They will create your treatment plan and help you understand the nature of the condition, including how many sessions you will need, and how long it will take to get better.

Getting treatment from a specially trained Registered Physiotherapist will help you to fix the problem. Early treatment will help to prevent the risks of falling due to poor balance and dizziness.

At PhysioNow, we have specially trained Registered Physiotherapists at four locations to serve you. Don’t suffer in silence! We can help! Call today to get started on your recovery!