WHY AM I DIZZY AND WILL IT GO AWAY ON ITS OWN?
By
Pat Stanziano, MPT, Hons BSc Kin
Registered Physiotherapist
Certified McKenzie MDT Provider (MICanada)
Diploma Sport Physiotherapy (Canada)
Registered Int’l Sport Physical Therapist (IFSPT)
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA)
Do you find yourself getting dizzy doing things like rolling over in bed, looking up to change a light bulb, or walking down the driveway to get the mail? Have you noticed you are not as steady as you used to be? We can help you figure out what is causing your dizziness or loss of balance and, more importantly, how to resolve it!
Dizziness, loss of balance, and vertigo can affect people of all ages and is a subject of concern for someone having difficulty performing household tasks, work-related activities, or sports performance. For many people, the symptoms seem to start without any reason. But for others, they occur following an injury, surgery, or illness.
Many people have questions and concerns about feeling dizzy and their physical imbalance but may not know that physiotherapy can help. So if you’re in Oakville, ON, or the surrounding areas, and this sounds like you, call us today at Leaps and Bounds: Performance Rehabilitation and schedule an appointment with one of our physiotherapists!
What is vertigo?
Vertigo is a common condition described as a sensation of motion or spinning. Often people who experience vertigo report an overwhelming sense of feeling “off balance.” For some, the description of symptoms includes lightheadedness, nausea, or a feeling of the floor tilting. In more severe cases, it can lead to vomiting and falling.
It is essential to determine what is causing the condition. The most common causes include:
- BPPV – also known as “benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.” While this condition may sound scary, it simply means there is a problem in your inner ear. There are small calcium particles in your ear that help tell your brain messages about your balance. When these particles are disturbed, we lose our balance. Fortunately, your physiotherapist can teach you how to move them back to where they belong! BPPV can occur for no known reason and may be associated with age.
- Meniere’s Disease – this is a disorder of the inner ear. It is caused by a buildup of fluid and fluctuating pressures within the ear. This buildup results in feeling dizzy, a loss of balance and “a ringing in the ears.”
- Inner ear infections (usually viral) are also associated with vertigo.
Less often vertigo may be associated with conditions like:
- Injury to the head or neck
- Migraines
- Side effects of medications
- Severe conditions like stroke, or a brain tumor
If you believe you may be experiencing the symptoms of vertigo, don’t hesitate to contact us today to speak with one of our experienced physiotherapists, and let us help you figure out what is causing your problem and how to resolve it.
How can physiotherapy help?
Physiotherapy is a standard treatment for vertigo, and our therapists are trained to help alleviate any dizziness, lightheadedness, or balance you may be experiencing. They will take a thorough medical history and perform a proper physical examination to ensure they provide a comprehensive and personalized treatment plan.
The primary goal of the assessment is to identify the specific cause of your dizziness and use a combination of specific manual therapy, balance exercises, and education to help you resolve your condition.
The most common treatments will focus on:
- Reducing vestibular symptoms through specific head and body movements and positions. These movements help restore the calcium deposits in your ear to alleviate the dizzy feeling.
- Balance exercises and vestibular rehabilitation. Specific balance exercises and particular tasks that focus on decreasing nerve sensitivity and reducing the effects of vertigo.
- Postural education to optimize function.
What to expect in physiotherapy.
Dizziness and loss of balance can hinder your daily life, limiting your ability to perform even the simplest of tasks. No matter what the cause may be, physiotherapy for dizziness and vertigo can help. Our highly trained therapists successfully diagnose and treat both dizziness and vertigo with vestibular rehabilitation.
Physiotherapists are experts in movement. Not only can they diagnose movement and balance problems, but they also focus on providing a personalized treatment plan that can help you feel more steady, experience less dizziness, and lower your risk of falling.
Vertigo is an unsettling experience. Fortunately, treatment is possible. With the help of a physiotherapist, you can reset your balance and reclaim your life.
Call our clinic today.
The key to diagnosing the root cause of vertigo is found with physiotherapy. Our physiotherapists have the extensive knowledge needed to identify and treat the source of a patient’s balance or dizziness problems. If you’re in Oakville, ON, or surrounding areas, call us at Leaps and Bounds: Performance Rehabilitation today for a comprehensive assessment and learn what steps you can take to alleviate your dizziness,get you back to your normal self, and prevent further episodes!