rehab education
How do you get rid of vertigo and dizziness?
Vertigo can limit a person’s activities and make them feel sick. Thankfully, exercise-based treatments have been found to be highly effective
Vertigo is defined as an illusion of movement in the room, most often experienced as the sensation of the room spinning. There are many different types of vertigo, but the most common is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (also known as BPPV). BPPV is an inner ear problem that can cause symptoms of dizziness, intense spells of spinning, and nausea. This type of vertigo is usually treated and resolved within 1 to 3 sessions with a physiotherapist, using repositioning and strengthening maneuvers and other specialized treatments. There is no proven way to stop or prevent vertigo from happening or returning, but it is treatable with a high success rate.
What does vertigo feel like?
Those who experience vertigo often describe it as the sensation of the room spinning around them or that they are spinning. People with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (also known as BPPV) experience symptoms such as:
- Triggered spells of spinning
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Loss of balance
What causes vertigo?
We all have calcium carbonate crystals called otoconia in our inner ears. When these tiny crystals get dislodged from their normal resting place and move through your inner ear’s semicircular canals, it sends powerful signals to the brain that you are violently spinning, even though you’re not.
Vertigo is triggered by movement and can arise from common day-to-day movements such as:
- Looking over your shoulder
- Bending over
- Rolling over in bed
- Sudden head movements
How do you treat vertigo?At The Bridge, we use a mx of repositioning maneuvers, hands on treatment of the neck, balance retraining, and other specialized treatments to help treat vertigo and dizziness.
Treatments for BPPV have a high success rate, however, you may need to have the treatment repeated a few times. An uncomplicated case of vertigo is usually treated within 1-3 sessions, with a 98% success rate.
If you are dealing with another form of vertigo, it can be more challenging to diagnose and treat. In some cases, a vestibular physiotherapist can help treat these conditions as well as the associated symptoms, such as balance problems, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and more.
How do you prevent vertigo?
There is no way to actively stop or prevent vertigo from happening or returning; however, it is an easy-to-treat condition, with a success rate of 98% within 1 to 3 treatment sessions. If you continue to experience symptoms after treatment, we recommend following up with your healthcare provider to see if any underlying conditions may be contributing to your symptoms.
If you are experiencing dizziness that is not related to vertigo, things like improving your balance with activities like yoga or tai chi, as well as moving and switching positions slowly may help prevent the dizziness from recurring — however, prevention techniques vary widely depending on what the cause of your dizziness is.
The Bridge model consists of three pillars
Relieve pain
Injury treatment and management to relieve pain, including physiotherapy, massage and chiropractic treatment.
get stronger
We introduce strength and mobility exercises to build tolerance to the demands of your activity and to develop more efficient movement patterns, making sure you don’t get hurt again.
improve performance
Performance or return to sport training: Is the last part of our model and reserved for those needing to return to a competitive sport or wanting to train at a higher level.
Contact us today and learn how our team can help you build a recovery plan, in person or virtually.
Book an in-person appointment
Book a session at one of our three locations in Edmonton and Sherwood Park.
