Vestibular disorders are a common presentation for our Vestibular Physiotherapist Peter Vitale.
Having a Vestibular condition can be distressing and the first step to managing it is understanding it. In this blog we're going to help you to better understand:
- The names of common Vestibular conditions and symptoms
- How we define Vestibular disorders and the effectiveness of Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology interventions for management
- The practical techniques that clinicians use to assist with treatment.
Vestibular disorders occur when parts of the inner ear and brain, that process the sensory information such as balance and eye movements, are damaged by a disease or an injury. It can occur for unknown reasons, but can also result or be worsened by genetic and environmental conditions. They can affect both children and adults. In addition to damage of motor development and balance, vestibular deficits may cause poor gaze stability that suppresses children from learning to read. Children are not screened for these disorders, which results in a failure to receive early medical attention and treatment.
Some of the most common symptoms of a vestibular disorder are:
- Dizziness
- Vertigo (sensation of the room spinning)
- Unsteadiness during gait (disequilibrium)
- Light headedness
- Motion sickness
All these symptoms can lead to a reduced ability to perform daily functional tasks, reduced confidence and social isolation.
At Exercise for Rehabilitation & Health, we will be able to conduct an appropriate and thorough assessment and outline a detailed management plan. This can involve formal Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology to help you with Vestibular balance retraining and a home exercise program; it could also involve referral to another health professional such as an ENT specialist or neurologist.
Vestibular conditions that we can assist with include:
- Benign Paraoxsysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- Vestibular Neuritis
- Meniere’s Disease
- Cervicogenic Dizziness (neck-related dizziness)
- Presbytasis (age-related balance loss)
- Superior Semicircular Canal Dihiscence (SSCD)
- Imbalance following ear surgery or head injury
