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- February 27, 2020
DIZZINESS AND VERTIGO - WHAT DO I DO?
Do you ever get dizzy or experience frequent episodes of dizziness?
Did you know that physiotherapy can help?
Many people suffer for years with dizziness, unaware that physiotherapy can often help resolve or lessen these symptoms.
So What Exactly Is Vertigo Anyway?
Vertigo is one of the most common causes of dizziness, especially over the age of 50.
When someone is experiencing vertigo they experience violent episodes of dizziness, nausea, a room spinning sensation that can be quite severe with head movement. The episode usually settles within a minute but periodic episodes can continue to occur with movement.
So How Does This Happen?
Simply put, crystals within the inner ear become displaced and make their way into one of the 3 semi-circular canals within the ear. These canals are responsible for detecting movement of the head. When the crystals are in the canals, it makes them more sensitive to gravity.
So when you move your head, the crystals move within the canal creating a sense of dizziness or spinning. There is also another type of vertigo where the crystals get stuck in a certain spot in the canal, this type has similar symptoms but the episodes of dizziness are longer than one minute (likely 2-3 minutes).
The Good News?
The good news is that this can be treated! Many physiotherapists have training to assess and treat these problems. The treatment can be fairly quick and simple – moving the crystals that have become loose in the inner ear to guide them back to where they belong.
What Else Can Cause Dizziness?
Vertigo may be a common cause for dizziness, but there are other inner ear and visual issues that may be contributing to your dizziness. Here are some examples of other causes for dizziness:
Migraines
Meniere’s Disease
Inner ear infections (Labyrinthitis)
Inflammation of the vestibular nerve (Vestibular neuronitis)
Head trauma (concussion)
Visual disturbances
An assessment by a physiotherapist can help to determine the cause of your dizziness and the best course of treatment.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
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