Vestibular Rehabilitation (VR)

What Is Vestibular Rehabilitation (VR)?

Vestibular Rehabilitation is a specialized form of therapy designed to treat balance disorders and dizziness. These issues usually stem from the vestibular system—the tiny sensory organs in your inner ear and the parts of your brain that act as your body’s "internal GPS."

When this system is damaged by injury, infection, or aging, your brain receives conflicting signals about your position, leading to spinning sensations (vertigo), nausea, and a feeling of "fogginess." The goal of VR is to use Neuroplasticity to retrain your brain to ignore these false signals and regain a steady sense of balance.
 

How Does It Work?

Vestibular Rehab works through three main physiological processes:

1. Habituation: By repeating specific movements that trigger your dizziness, the brain eventually becomes "used to" them and stops reacting with a spinning sensation.

2. Gaze Stabilization: This involves training your eyes to stay locked on a target while your head is moving. This fixes the "blurring" vision that many dizzy patients experience.

3. Balance Training: Using uneven surfaces and movement challenges to teach your brain to rely more on your feet and eyes, rather than just the faulty signals from the inner ear.

4. Canalith Repositioning: For certain types of vertigo, the therapist uses specific head maneuvers to move "loose crystals" out of the sensitive parts of your ear.
    

What Are The Treatment Techniques?

Every VR plan is customized based on whether your issue is in the ear or the brain:

• Epley & Semont Maneuvers: Highly successful "repositioning" moves used to treat BPPV (the most common type of vertigo).

• Vaze Stabilization Exercises (VOR): Tasks that involve moving the head up/down or side-to-side while keeping the eyes focused on a letter or object.

• Cawthorne-Cooksey Exercises: A series of eye, head, and body movements (like bending over and sitting up) to build tolerance to motion.

• Static and Dynamic Balance Training: Practicing standing on foam pads or walking with head turns to improve "real-world" stability.

• Visual Tracking: Using moving targets to reduce the "visual vertigo" felt in crowded places like supermarkets or in traffic.
   

What Are The Benefits?

• Elimination of Vertigo: Stopping the "room-spinning" sensation for good.

• Reduced Fall Risk: Giving you the confidence to walk without holding onto walls or furniture.

• Clearer Vision: Stopping the "jumping" or "blurring" of vision when you move your head.

• Reduced Anxiety: Many patients fear falling; VR provides the physical stability to remove that fear.

• Return to Normal Life: Being able to drive, work at a computer, and walk in busy areas without getting dizzy.
   

Conditions Treated By Vestibular Rehab

• BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo): Brief, intense spinning when you tilt your head.

• Labyrinthitis & Vestibular Neuritis: Inner ear infections that cause sudden, severe dizziness.

• Ménière’s Disease: A condition involving pressure in the ear, hearing loss, and vertigo.

• Cervicogenic Dizziness: Balance issues caused by stiffness or injury in the neck.

• Post-Concussion Syndrome: Dizziness following a head injury or fall.

• Age-Related Imbalance: General "wobbliness" in seniors.
   

How Does The Patient Feel?

• The Experience: VR is a very active therapy. You won't just lie on a table; you will be moving your head, eyes, and body.

• The Sensation: Initially, the exercises might make you feel slightly more dizzy for a few minutes. This is actually a sign that the brain is learning.

• The Result: Most patients feel a sense of "grounding" and clarity after a few sessions. Vertigo from BPPV often clears up in just 1 to 3 visits.
   

The Advanced Plan at Ang Physiotherapy

We combine VR with our other expert services for a total "Neurological Reset":

1. Cervical (Neck) Mobilization: Since the neck and ears work together for balance, we ensure your neck joints are moving perfectly.

2. Laser Therapy: To reduce inflammation in the inner ear or nerves following an infection.

3. Home Exercise App: We provide video-guided balance drills so you can continue "training your brain" every day.

4. Fall Prevention Education: We teach you how to set up your home and move safely to prevent future injuries.
    

Contraindications & Precautions

• Acute Ear Infections: If your ear is currently leaking fluid or infected, medicine is needed first.

• Unstable Neck Injuries: Any recent neck fracture must be cleared before doing head-movement exercises.

• Sudden Hearing Loss: If dizziness is accompanied by sudden loss of hearing, you must see an ENT specialist immediately.

• Undiagnosed Blackouts: If you are "passing out" (fainting) rather than feeling dizzy, we must rule out heart issues first.