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I Haven’t been diagnosed with any of these, but I think I may be suffering from a vestibular disorder. What are the common symptoms?

• Vertigo (sense of spinning - either that you are spinning or the room around you is spinning)

• General dizziness or lightheadedness

• Nausea, vomiting, fatigue

• Neck tightness, stiffness, and/or pain

• Imbalance and difficulty walking

• Headaches

• Frequent falls

• Vision issues (double vision, shaky vision with head movement, difficulty focusing, poor tolerance to screen time)

• Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, mild memory issues

• *It is important to note that there is a plethora of other potential causes for the above-mentioned symptoms, which is why it is imperative to get thorough testing to determine if your symptoms are stemming from the vestibular system

 

What does a vestibular assessment look like?

• Central neurological testing (reflex testing)

• Cranial nerve tests

• Cervical tests of your neck’s joints, blood flow, and muscle function

• Visual oculomotor function tests

• Balance testing

• Gait assessment (walking/mobility tests)

• Positional testing on a table (for motion sickness)

• Frenzel or Infrared Goggle tests to view/record nystagmus (reflexive eye movements)

  • These goggles are not always available in many locations, and are not the only way to test for vestibular dysfunction, but can be a good way to keep track of progress/symptoms when available

 

 

How does Vestibular Rehabilitation Work?

Depending on the cause of your weakened vestibular or balance systems, the treatment is tailored specifically to improve strength, gait, gaze stabilization, balance, repositioning of inner ear crystals (only with BPPV), and/or improving the brains ability to interpret input form the vestibular system

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The exercises utilized to help the brain interpret, or rather “sift out” missing/imbalanced input are adaptation, habituation, or substation. Most often tailored vestibular rehabilitation programs use a combination of these three to give you the best chance of improving your symptoms

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Adaptation

• Nerve impulses in the brain are able to shift or “adapt” to the incorrect signals form the damaged vestibular system. Think of it as “recalibrating” your brain

Habituation

• These are used to desensitize yourself to vestibular movement and stimulation to decrease the intensity of symptoms you may experience

Substitution​

• Training of other body functions (vision, proprioception, strength, balance training, etc…) to “make up” for the decreased function of the vestibular system

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For more detailed information about vestibular dysfunction/disorders, balance, and dizziness click HERE