What is Vestibular Rehab?

If you’re experiencing chronic dizziness, did you know that a Denver physical therapist can help? Every year, over 10 million patients visit their doctor or physical therapist due to concerns about dizziness, imbalance, or symptoms brought on by these sensations. While dizziness itself may not be a life-threatening concern, it may often hint at a more serious health issue, such as an inner ear disorder, vertigo, a major head or neck injury, or even as a side effect of prescription medication.

To help patients combat dizziness, physical therapists and doctors have developed a treatment program aimed at treating these symptoms. This program is known as vestibular rehabilitation and focuses on helping patients recover from dizziness via a series of exercises and specifically-designed stretches. Over time, vestibular rehabilitation therapy can help patients improve their posture, balance, physical capabilities, and can significantly decrease, or even completely eliminate, dizziness issues. In this article, we’re taking a closer look at how an experienced Denver physical therapist can help you recover from dizziness issues through a vestibular rehabilitation program.

What Exactly is Vestibular Rehab?

Let’s start at the beginning. What exactly is vestibular rehabilitation? Aeccording to the renowned Cleveland Clinic, vestibular rehab is understood as “an exercise-based program, designed by a trained vestibular physical therapist, to improve balance and reduce problems related to dizziness.” Dizziness, which can be experienced as a feeling of unsteadiness, spinning, swaying, tilting, or even like you’re about to pass out, can be caused by many different types of health issues or injuries.

For some patients, this dizziness sensation could be a symptom of an underlying (and more serious) issue. If you’re experiencing dizziness, schedule an appointment with your primary care physician. They will be able to perform a complete diagnosis to identify the specific cause of your dizziness. From there, they can begin to develop a treatment plan that can best address your healthcare needs. You should never simply sit back and let those dizziness spells keep coming. Know that there is help available.

What Conditions Can Be Treated by Vestibular Rehabilitation?

Vestibular rehab has become a popular form of care because it can be effective for many different types of injuries and illnesses. As a safe and holistic approach to healthcare, vestibular rehab can reduce dizziness symptoms and help patients get back to the lifestyle and activities that they love. For some patients, vestibular rehab is used in tandem with other treatments for a long-lasting recovery and thorough treatment.

If you’re experiencing one of the following healthcare issues, talk to your doctor about what vestibular rehabilitation could do for you:

Vertigo.
Imbalance issues.
Chronic dizziness.
Serious head or neck injuries.
Migraines.
Headaches.
Meniere’s disease.
Dizziness-caused blurred vision.
Recovering from a stroke or brain injurie.
Frequent falls.
Neck stiffness and tightness.
Mobility issues.

Benefits of Vestibular Rehab

Vestibular rehabilitation can offer a wide range of health benefits for patients. When patients carefully adhere to their exercises and stretches, and under the guidance of an experienced physical therapist, they can recover faster and see long-lasting relief from the symptoms of their dizzy spells.

Some of the top benefits of vestibular rehabilitation include:

Decreased risk of falling.
Better balance.
Reduced dizziness (sometimes completely) .
Restored mobility.
Improved neck strength and mobility.
Better vision.
Stabilized gaze.
Better overall body strength.
Freedom and independence via mobility.
Confidence to maintain an active lifestyle.

How Does Vestibular Rehab Work?

If you’ve taken part in a physical therapy program before, you may already know a little bit about this specialized type of care. But if you haven’t you’ll want to know a bit more about how vestibular rehab actually works. This type of treatment consists of exercises and stretches specifically designed to address problems related to dizziness and poor balance. In the early stages of the program, patients are carefully guided by their physical therapist to learn how to properly perform these exercises. Most patients find the exercises are pretty easy to pick up, however, sticking to the routine on a consistent basis can prove to be a more problematic challenge when it comes to striving for long-lasting recovery.

While patients work closely with their professional physical therapist, they may also be asked to perform their rehab program during times at home. For many patients, it’s highly recommended that they perform their exercises and stretches roughly 2-3 times each day. For some, this can seem difficult with an already busy and hectic schedule. However, it’s important to note that for patients to find success with this type of care, it’s essential to keep up with your exercises on a regular basis. The effectiveness of the entire treatment plan depends on this commitment to recovery and healing.

For some patients, the early stages of the program might feel uncomfortable and the exercises may even feel a bit like you’re making the symptoms worse. While this may feel odd, it’s actually a positive sign that you’re on the right track. This is because your movements are stimulating the vestibular system. And then, with endurance and focus, patients tend to note a decrease in symptoms as they continue with the program. Over time, many patients even experience complete relief from any previous symptoms of dizziness or imbalance.

While each program is unique to the needs of the patient, a general vestibular rehab program may include some of the following components:

Posture training.
Vision stability training.
Walking exercises.
Neck stretches.
Stretching and strengthening exercises.
Balance retraining.

Conclusion – What is Vestibular Rehab?

If you’re experiencing chronic dizziness or balance issues, know that you don’t have to suffer these symptoms alone. Call on your primary care physician or a local physical therapy office to see if a vestibular rehabilitation program could be right for your healthcare needs. Through a combination of special exercises and stretches, vestibular rehabilitation has helped countless patients combat their dizziness spells and also improve their posture, balance, and overall health and wellness.