Dizziness and vertigo in Newmarket and East Gwillimbury—Is there treatment for a new episode or a long-term episode? Peripheral vestibular disorders and concussion can be helped by a vestibular physiotherapist.
The experience of transient or ongoing and persistent dizziness and/or vertigo is not an uncommon occurrence, and you are not alone. Consultation with a general family physician before or at the same time as calling a vestibular physiotherapist is recommended to ensure that the whole healthcare team is on your side to help you through! Vestibular physiotherapy and balance retraining plans have been shown to be significantly helpful to individuals with varying levels of dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance. They can help individuals with regaining their function, work life, and social life, as well as allow them to return to normal.
Some of the experiences and names for dizziness and vertigo that individuals may experience in treatment sessions are listed below, although it is not an exhaustive list.
- The most common vestibular disorder is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). This is a very characteristic and predictable, yet very disorienting and at times quite intense, form of vertigo. This is also a form of vertigo that responds very well to treatment with a vestibular physiotherapist. If not treated properly, BPPV can linger, spontaneously resolve, or remain for years and cause the vestibular system to be thrown out of sync.
- Concussion and mild traumatic head injuries are another form of injury where there is a quick acceleration and deceleration of the brain. This would be considered a central nervous system injury causing postural instability, proprioceptive disorders, and discoordination of a varied number of systems requiring vestibular rehabilitation, balance retraining therapy, and gaze stabilization therapy. The symptoms of concussion are wide ranging. This is why an individualized program and healthcare team approach is required for each concussion injury. Vestibular physiotherapy with a trained physiotherapist in Newmarket can be very, very helpful in recovering.
- Vestibular system dysfunction, sometimes referred to as vestibular loss or hypofunction, causes imbalance and a feeling of unsteadiness while walking, standing, sitting, or even lying down. It can also be accompanied by visual field changes, nausea, lightheadedness, and a general feeling of being “off”, amongst other things. These symptoms can be worse in busy areas and can be so intense that they can cause falls.
- Cervicogenic dizziness can also be a source of dizziness, lightheadedness, and unsteadiness from neck injury or neck degenerative change.
- Mal de débarquement is a phenomenon of sensing the motion of a boat while sitting, standing, lying, and walking. Quite an interesting and maddening symptom for some individuals and quite debilitating.
The diagnoses for the “why” of dizziness and vertigo are largely the responsibility of the otolaryngologist or neurologist. However, in a vestibular assessment with a trained physiotherapist, in conjunction with allied health professionals, answers can be found through a sound physiotherapy assessment and treatment plan. The mechanical aspect of a physiotherapy treatment plan is an imperative addition to treatment of dizziness and vertigo and can help or resolve symptoms, allow increased function safely, and allow an individual to return to work and have peace of mind as symptoms respond to the physiotherapy treatment program.
As usual, East Gwillimbury Physiotherapy’s physiotherapists are proud to serve East Gwillimbury, Newmarket, Aurora, Bradford, and the surrounding communities of York Region.
