How to Treat Vertigo with Physiotherapy
QI Spine Clinic, 2 weeks ago
Vertigo is a false sense of spinning or dizziness which makes you feel like your surroundings are moving even when you’re not moving. Physical therapy exercises for vertigo relief are quite effective.
Vertigo can affect anyone at any age. Younger people getting vertigo may be due to middle ear pathology. In elderly persons, it may be due to accidents involving or affecting their ears, leading to complications. Specific vertigo physiotherapy treatment may help you alleviate or eliminate vertigo. Vertigo is frequently caused by spinal diseases such as
sciatica, and back injuries where the extreme pain induces vertigo.
In this article, we will delve into the nitty-gritty of vertigo physiotherapy exercises but you must understand that your doctor may recommend this treatment based on the underlying cause of your vertigo.
What Causes Vertigo?
Vertigo is often a symptom of other underlying issues. It might come with nausea, vomiting, and trouble with balance. It usually happens due to issues with the inner ear or brain.
- Peripheral vertigo: This is the most common type, responsible for 80% of all cases. It mostly results due to disorders like benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and Ménière’s disease. BPPV is a result of the movement of small-size calcium particles called canaliths from another portion of the ear into the semicircular canals of the inner ear. When these canals get stimulated, it causes dizziness.
- Central vertigo: This type of vertigo originates in the brain, such as from strokes, tumors, multiple sclerosis, or vestibular migraines.
Oftentimes, stress is a significant contributor to vertigo which can also lead to symptoms of nausea. Managing and reducing stress can help reduce vertigo as well.
How Physical Therapy can Help Vertigo?
Vertigo therapy techniques are designed in a way to help relieve the symptoms, and are tailor-made to suit an individual depending on the type of vertigo that they may have. Thus, before you can start dizziness physiotherapy for vertigo, an accurate diagnosis is essential. However, in many cases, vertigo may go away without any treatment.
Vertigo Physiotherapy Treatment
If your symptoms of vertigo don’t improve, your treatment plan may include the following:
- Vestibular rehabilitation therapy or balance training for vertigo:
Vestibular rehabilitation therapy, or VRT, is an exercise-based treatment option designed to promote vestibular adaptation and substitution. Vestibular rehabilitation exercises help to manage vertigo occurring as a result of BPPV, head injuries, central nervous system lesions, and undefined causes. By performing vestibular physiotherapy exercises, you can enhance your posture stability along with improving vertigo and daily life activities.
While benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) exercises via VRT can be quite effective, it may not work for other types of vertigo.
Vertigo occurring as a result of motion sickness can be treated effectively with medications along with other other symptoms of vertigo, such as nausea. Antibiotics may help with bacterial infection being the reason for vertigo symptoms. Diuretics may be recommended to patients who have symptoms of swelling associated with Meniere’s disease.
Although rarely, surgery may be recommended as a treatment option for vertigo.
Vertigo Relieving Exercises to Try at Home
A doctor or physiotherapist may recommend performing certain physiotherapy exercises to relieve vertigo at home. Canalith repositioning maneuvers can help with alleviating vertigo.
Here are two such exercises for you to try at home.
This exercise is particularly effective for treating BPPV. You can perform Epley Maneuver exercise by following these steps:
- Sit upright on the bed’s edge. Turn your head about 45° to the right, and lie back quickly.
- Stay in this position for half a minute.
- Now, turn your head in the opposite direction at 45°, and hold this position for 30 seconds.
- Then, turn your head and body another 90° to the left, into the bed.
- Maintain this position for 30 seconds, and then sit up slowly.
Try this exercise with the opposite side as well.
Brandt-Daroff physiotherapy for inner ear disorders, particularly BPPV, uses gravity to help dislodge the crystals from the semicircular canal.
Here’s how you can perform this exercise at home:
- Sit in the middle of a bed with your feet on the floor, and turn your head 45° to the right.
- Lie down on your left side without moving your head. You should wait for any dizziness to pass, and subsequently wait for 30 seconds more. If there is no dizziness, simply wait for 30 seconds and return to the original position.
- Then turn your head 45° to your left, and repeat what you did previously on the right side.
- Get back to the starting position, and pause for 30 seconds before starting another set.
- Balance training for vertigo:
With vertigo, your sense of balance may also become disoriented. Special vertigo exercises for balance and posture may be extremely beneficial to you to regain posture and keep yourself safe while reducing sensitivity to motion.
Here are some exercises for you to try:
- Eye movements to your left and right
- Head movements to your left and right
- Toe touches
- Shoulder shrugs
- Sit and stand
Outlook
With vertigo treatment techniques involving physiotherapy and medicines, people should observe improvement in their vertigo symptoms. Any other underlying issues responsible for vertigo can be treated effectively by a doctor. However, it is important to understand that vertigo may recur. Continued physiotherapy for vestibular disorders, and anxiety and stress management can help with vertigo.
Conclusion
Vertigo is a common symptom associated with different underlying conditions. Various types of physiotherapy exercises can help improve vertigo but they should be performed only under the supervision of a doctor or physiotherapist.
