Vestibular Rehabilitation

Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness that gives you the false sensation that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving, even when you're completely still.

​

Key Characteristics of Vertigo:

• Spinning sensation (you feel like you're rotating or the room is spinning)

• Often triggered by changes in head position

• May be accompanied by:

• Nausea or vomiting

• Balance problems

• Sweating

• Abnormal eye movements (nystagmus)

• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or hearing loss (in some cases)

​

Common Causes of Vertigo:

1. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV):

   • Caused by tiny crystals in the inner ear becoming dislodged.

   • Brief, intense episodes triggered by head movements.

2. Meniere’s Disease:

   • A disorder of the inner ear involving fluid buildup.

   • Causes vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness in the ear.

3. Vestibular Neuritis or Labyrinthitis:

   • Inflammation of the vestibular nerve or inner ear.

   • Usually follows a viral infection.

4. Migraine-Associated Vertigo:

   • Vertigo episodes linked to migraine headaches.

5. Other Causes:

   • Head injuries

   • Stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)

   • Tumors (like acoustic neuroma)

   • Certain medications

​

Treatment:

• Depends on the cause.

• May include:

  • Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT)

  • Epley maneuver (for BPPV)

  • Medications (to relieve nausea, reduce inflammation, or prevent migraines)

  • Surgery (rarely)

​​​