Vestibular Rehab

Patients experiencing vertigo--the feeling of dizziness or the perception the room is spinning--may have a
condition of the inner ear called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). BPPV occurs when free
floating carbonate crystals become inappropriately displaced in a canal of the inner ear. This situation can
be treated effectively by a physical therapist using a single particle repositioning technique.

Other symptoms vestibular therapy can help include:

• Unsteadiness
• Gait difficulty
• Persistent headache/neck pain
• Nausea
• Ringing in ears/hearing loss

Common vestibular diagnoses treated include:

• BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo)
• Central vestibular dysfunction (i.e. cerebellar ataxia)
• Unilateral vestibular hypofunction (i.e. Labyrinthitis – inner ear infection)
• Bilateral vestibular hypofunction

Treatments provided include:

For BPPV – canalith/particle repositioning.
For vestibular hypofunction – adaptation/habituation exercises, visual and balance retraining as well as posture stabilization exercises.
A typical outpatient will receive therapy 2-3 times a week for 4-6 weeks, unless the physical therapy evaluation determines otherwise.

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