Physical Therapy and the Treatment of Vertigo: The Cure When Your World is Spinning

Have you ever experienced severe dizziness that stopped you in your tracks? Dizziness can be the result of many different things including vestibular (inner ear), neurological (brain/spinal cord, for example, after a stroke), medical (high blood pressure, hypoglycemia), and psychogenic (anxiety, depression).

The origin of about half of all dizziness is vestibular dysfunction. Dizziness originating in the inner ear is frequently called vertigo. Vertigo is the illusion of movement of the self or the environment that most people describe as “the room is spinning.” The most common type of vertigo is called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV and it generally means that the vertigo you experience is based on the position of your head. So if the room only spins when you lay down on your right side, for example, it’s probably BPPV. (Please see your doctor for an official diagnosis.)

So how in the world do you fix it? Most people do not know that seeing a physical therapist trained in the treatment of BPPV is one of the fastest, most effective treatments available. BPPV is an “otoconia or calcium carbonate crystal inside the inner ear, which has displaced from the vestibule into the most gravity dependent part of the semicircular canal.” That medical crazy talk basically means you have a rock loose in your head! Haha! It’s not as bad as it sounds. The crystal has become displaced into the part of your inner ear that is typically only filled with fluid and when your head moves the movement of the fluid tells your brain how to adjust your eyes so that you can stay oriented. The displaced crystal mixes up the signals to your brain and this is what leads to vertigo. A trained physical therapist is able to perform a maneuver which puts the crystal back in its place, therefore curing the vertigo. It typically takes no more than 2 visits!

We have been very successful in the treatment of vertigo at Advance Physical Therapy and we would love to help you or your family member who is suffering with vertigo!  Call 417-991-3440 or  email me with any questions.