Vertigo & Vestibular Rehab

Vertigo is the sudden feeling of dizziness, the feeling of the room spinning, and disorientation. It can make you unsteady on your feet, lightheaded, and can sometimes cause vomiting. This can occur with lying down, rolling in bed, or looking up and down.

A condition called BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) is the primary cause of vertigo. This happens when calcium carbonate crystals in your inner ear become displaced and (through a chain of events) send the message to your brain that you are moving when you’re not. This can be caused by head trauma, a bump on the head, or even a near fall that ‘jars’ your head. More commonly, however, it is brought on by rolling in bed, lying down, or sitting up after lying down. BPPV is more common after the age of 50, but can happen at any age.

In most cases, BPPV is very treatable; a trained therapist will test you to find out exactly where the problem is and perform proven maneuvers to help relocate the crystals to their original position.

Vestibular Rehab is sometimes recommended to restore normal eye movements and improve your balance. This includes balance training and specific eye exercises that, over time, can restore normal eye movements.

It is very important to seek treatment as soon as possible, as it is usually easier to resolve your symptoms right away. If you have been experiencing this problem for a long period of time, treatment is usually still successful.