What is vestibular rehab?
The term “vestibular rehab” is used to describe specialized physical therapy for symptoms of dizziness and imbalance due to vestibular (inner ear) disorders. Advanced Physical Therapy Center has a team of therapists who achieved nationally recognized credentialing in the treatment of vestibular disorder symptoms.
There are three basic concepts of vestibular rehabilitation. The first aspect deals with head-eye coordination exercises which help the eye-ear reflex work in a coordinated manner. It also stimulates the balance portion of the ear. It is critical that the head-turn separately from the rest of your body in order for the ear to receive proper inputs. The second process involves balance retraining exercises which help to reduce unsteadiness and imbalance, by utilizing your vision, sensory system and postural system more effectively. The third aspect deals with habituation. In other words, continually repeating the actions that bring on the sense of dizziness or vertigo will eventually accustom the body to those actions. In addition, for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, which is when a small piece of bone-like calcium breaks free and floats within the tube of the inner ear causing confusing messages in the brain about your body's position, we use a series of log-roll maneuvers to reposition the bone-like calcium floating in the inner ear.
Disorders or injuries involving the vestibular system include:
After your initial prescription for physical therapy is completed, your physician and physical therapist will decide if you need to continue physical therapy or if you will be discharged to a home exercise program.
This information is provided as a learning resource for the benefit of our patients. It is NOT INTENDED to replace personal consultation with your medical professionals.
