A Common Ailment
Vertigo is an ailment that effects many people at various points in their lives. A trained physical therapist can often help your vertigo symptoms. The most common cause of vertigo is due to something called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV for short. It’s due to a problem in your inner ear. Everyone has small structures called otoconia in your inner ear. These are normally located in the utricle and saccule in the inner ear. These structures allow us to sense where we are in space. They can become dislodged into the semicircular canals and cause BPPV.
(Not to be confused with the classic Alfred Hitchcock movie, which is much more fun.)
BPPV Symptoms
- Symptoms increase when you move your head and change positions, most commonly rolling over in bed, bending over or when you look up.
- Common to have occurrences at the hair dresser or dentist.
- Vertigo occurs within 1-30 seconds and resolves within 60 seconds when in the provoking position
- Nystagmus (repetitive, uncontrolled eye movements) occur.
- Nausea is common
Causes
- Vertigo can occur randomly
- Occurs in people with certain vestibular pathologies,
- Trauma: car accidents, head injuries.
Can Physical Therapy Help?
A trained physical therapist can perform maneuvers in a few minutes that, most of the time, can resolve BPPV within 1-2 sessions. It really can be that simple! If you are suffering with this problem, schedule an appointment and get help! There are often people who live with this condition for months and even years without knowing how quickly a therapist can help them resolve it. Not every type of vertigo can be solved with physical therapy, but we have helped so many people find the relief they have desperately needed. Let our therapists evaluate you and see if this treatment is right for you.
