Vestibular Rehabilitation
Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy in Scottsdale AZ
Do you feel dizzy? Suffer from sensations of vertigo? Have a balance disorder? Vestibular therapy at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers - South Scottsdale, AZ might be life-changing!
Many issues cause vestibular problems that impact your ability to balance yourself. You may end up staying closer to home, fearing a vestibular attack might strike any time. If you find symptoms are triggered by exercise, you stop being active, creating a cascade of problems!
How does the vestibular system work?
The vestibular system is a main contributor to physical balance. Located in the inner ear, the system senses motion when small hairs, called cilia, are moved by microscopic calcium crystals. When we sit, stand, move, or experience motions (such as in a car) the crystals move the hairs. The brain receives the signals from the hairs, along with information from the eyes and your sense of touch to interpret motion, equilibrium, and orientation in space.
In order to understand how Vestibular Rehabilitation works and the underlying corrective mechanisms, it is important to remember that the primary role of the vestibular system is to tell the brain where the head is in space. Quite simply, the vestibular system is our internal reference telling the brain how our head is orientated - up, down, tilt, etc. The visual and somatosensory (touch, pressure, pain) systems, on the other hand, are external references, providing our brain with information about the movement and stability of the world around us. Working together and when the systems agree, it is the integration of these sensory modalities that provides us with normal equilibrium.
Exercises in a Vestibular Rehabilitation Program
Although every patient’s vestibular rehab exercises are unique, they are founded on some core principles your physical therapist uses to realign the function of your vestibular system. These are divided into three categories.
Habituation
Habituation gradually desensitizes you to vestibular stimulation and movement with repeated exposure. Habituation exercises treat dizziness symptoms from head motion or visual stimuli. If you feel dizzier when you turn your head quickly or change positions like bending or looking upwards, these exercises help. Habituation exercises also help if you have trouble in highly visually stimulating situations like grocery stores and looking at screens.
Adaptation
Adaptation is where brain nerve impulses adapt or shift to the incorrect signals created from the damage in your vestibular system. Gradual shifts allow your brain to recalibrate.
Substitution
Substitution uses strategies and other body functions to replace missing vestibular functions.
Balance Training Exercises
Balance training exercises improve your stability and steadiness. These exercises are carefully chosen to be moderately challenging but safe enough so there is no risk of a fall. The aim is to maintain your balance as you sit, stand, turn, walk, bend, and reach.
More vestibular rehabilitation exercises include:
- Visual targeting
- Convergence exercise for visual shifting between near and far
- Walking, gait, and mobility
- Ergonomics education
- Neck stretching
- Tracking exercises
- Core strengthening
- Stimuli coordination
- Postural training
No two vestibular rehabilitation programs are exactly alike. So, your exercise program is developed by a qualified vestibular physical therapist at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers - South Scottsdale, AZ.
How vestibular rehabilitation can help you?
Vestibular Rehabilitation is a form of Balance Retraining Therapy. It has emerged over the past several years as an alternative treatment for patients with chronic non-resolved motion intolerance, visual sensitivity, and imbalance problems.
At FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers - South Scottsdale, AZ, we have a comprehensive balance program that includes assessment and evaluation programs, balance retraining, and vestibular rehabilitation. With balance retraining and vestibular rehabilitation, our goal is to improve balance function and visual motor control, increase general activity levels, and help your body compensate for inner ear disorders. We utilize a state-of-the-art balance machine and our balance therapy programs have a 99% balance improvement success rate.
Who could benefit?
- BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo)
- MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
- Vestibular Hypofunction: Labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis
- Migraine Associated Dizziness
- Post-Concussions and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries)
- Neck Related Dizziness & Vertigo
- Fall Risk Seniors
- Musculoskeletal Balance Disorders
- Parkinson's
Your tailored Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy recovery plan targets primary and secondary problems contributing to your vestibular disorders. So, soon you can again trust your balance enough to take back your life!
Don’t suffer any longer! Contact us at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers - South Scottsdale, AZ to help you take back your life from vestibular issues. Our physical therapist will complete a thorough assessment to confirm that Vestibular Therapy will help you. Call now! We’re here to help.
Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy FAQs
How to do Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy?
Vestibular rehabilitation is done by using tailored, therapeutic exercises that address dizziness and balance. Treatments often include specific hands-on repositioning maneuvers performed by a physical therapist. Patients participate in home and in-clinic exercises.
What is Vestibular Rehabilitation?
Vestibular rehabilitation is an exercise-based physical therapy program that promotes vestibular substitution and adaptation. The therapy enhances gaze and postural stability and reduce vertigo to improve quality of life and make activities of daily living more manageable.
How Long Does Vestibular Rehabilitation Take to Work?
Vestibular rehabilitation usually requires 6 to 8 weeks of therapy once or twice a week. Some patients successfully address balance or dizziness issues in 1 or 2 therapy sessions, seeing results in just 24 to 48 hours.