Denver Vestibular Therapy: Treatment for BPPV, Vertigo, and Balance Problems
Experiencing dizziness is a very uncomfortable and sometimes fearful situation. It is a foreign sensation to most who experience it, making the patient question what is going on inside their body.
Dizziness is a common issue:
20-30% of all adults will experience dizziness throughout their lifetime
85% of older adults experience balance disruption
11 women experience dizziness for every 1 man.
This quick blog is designed to briefly outline the different forms of dizziness and to suggest that Vestibular Physical Therapy should be one of the first, if not the first, health care providers to see for treatment and diagnosis.
There are two diagnostic umbrellas for dizziness:
1. BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo), and 2. Vestibular Hypofunction (or weakness)
BPPV
Do I really have crystals in my head? YES! Everyone has otoliths, or calcium carbonate crystals, located in the inner ear in vestibular canals. These otoliths play a part in sensing head movement and providing feedback to the brain to tell us where our head is located in space. As we age, these otoliths can become dislodged in the canals, disrupting the sensory feedback, and making us feel dizzy when we move our head. It commonly is characterized by “room spinning” sensations when changing head positions, such as laying back in bed, bending over, or washing hair. BPPV is treated by healthcare professionals (commonly Physical Therapists) who perform repositioning maneuvers, such as the Epley maneuver. This is usually a quick fix, with 85% of patients experiencing reduced symptoms following one Epley maneuver, and the average patient finding resolvement of symptoms after three maneuvers.
Vestibular Hypofunction
Vestibular Hypofunction encompasses many other diagnoses (such as Meniere’s disease, Mal de Debarquement, labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis). Just as muscles can become weak in the body due to injury, body mechanics, or compensatory movements, the vestibular system can become weak, which can manifest in dizziness characterized by “on a boat” feelings, or a sensation of feeling “off”. When this happens, the vestibular system can be overly sensitive and cause dizziness during certain head, body, or eye movements that normally should not cause dizziness. Vestibular Hypofunction can be treated through specific exercises given by a Vestibular Physical Therapist in order to strengthen and retrain the system to function properly. This can be a longer road to recover compared to BPPV. Just as it takes 4-6 weeks to see muscular changes when consistently strength training, vestibular rehab can take a similar length of time to strengthening the vestibular system.
If these symptoms sound similar to what you are experiencing, schedule an initial evaluation at Well Set with our Vestibular Physical Therapist, Chris Lowrimore.