What is Vestibular Physiotherapy?
The inner ear plays an important role in our balance as well as our hearing. The balance organs within each ear work together with our eyes and sensory information from our body to help us stay balanced, move confidently and keep our vision focused while we are moving.
When this system isn’t working properly, it can cause symptoms including dizziness, vertigo, loss of balance, difficulty focusing when moving, motion sensitivity, and difficulty coping with busy or visually stimulating environments.
Vestibular Physiotherapy is a specialist form of rehabilitation designed to reduce these symptoms and help you regain your balance, confidence and everyday function.
Could Vestibular Physiotherapy help me?
Vestibular Physiotherapy may help if you experience ongoing problems with dizziness, vertigo, unsteadiness or balance, particularly where these symptoms are related to a problem with the vestibular system.
At Chichester Physio, our Senior Physiotherapist Leda Mellor provides specialist assessment and rehabilitation for a range of vestibular conditions, including:
- BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo)
- Vestibular neuritis
- Labyrinthitis
- Vestibular hypofunction
- Ménière’s disease
- PPPD (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness)
Because dizziness and balance problems can have many different causes, including conditions that are not suitable for Vestibular Physiotherapy, we ask that you have first been assessed by your GP or Consultant and that vestibular rehabilitation has been recommended.
What does Vestibular Physiotherapy involve?
Vestibular Physiotherapy is different from traditional physiotherapy and is not primarily a hands-on treatment. Your treatment will depend on the cause of your symptoms and the findings from your assessment.
For many vestibular conditions, rehabilitation involves a personalised programme of eye, head, balance and movement exercises. These exercises are designed to challenge the vestibular system in a controlled way and help your brain and body adapt.
Your exercises will be progressed as you improve and will need to be practised regularly at home. Appointments are usually closer together initially and then become more spaced out as your rehabilitation progresses.
BPPV is different. If your symptoms are caused by BPPV, Leda may use specific repositioning techniques, such as the Epley manoeuvre, to treat the affected inner ear. BPPV can often be treated in just a small number of appointments.
Once that’s in, the next section is important: “What happens at my first appointment?” That’s where we can really show the depth of Leda’s specialist assessment without making it sound frighteningly medical.
What happens at my first appointment?
Your first appointment is a detailed vestibular assessment with Leda. Because dizziness and balance problems can have a number of different causes, understanding your symptoms and how they affect you is an important part of deciding whether Vestibular Physiotherapy is appropriate.
Leda will discuss the history of your symptoms, what triggers or eases them, any associated symptoms, your medical history and how your dizziness or balance problems are affecting your day-to-day life.
The physical assessment may include tests of your eye and head movements, balance, walking, coordination and neurological function, together with specific positional tests where appropriate. Some of these tests deliberately reproduce dizziness or other symptoms for a short time, as this can provide useful information about how your vestibular system is functioning.
Where appropriate, Leda will then explain her findings and develop an individual treatment and rehabilitation plan based on your assessment and your own goals.
Please arrange for someone to accompany you or take you home following your initial vestibular assessment.
Meet Leda Mellor
Leda is a Senior Physiotherapist with specialist experience in Vestibular Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.
Leda has experience assessing and treating people with a range of vestibular conditions, from BPPV to more persistent problems with dizziness, balance and motion sensitivity.
Vestibular problems can be unsettling and sometimes have a significant impact on everyday life. Leda takes a thorough, individual approach to assessment and rehabilitation, tailoring treatment and exercises to each patient’s symptoms, abilities and personal goals.
Ready to get help with your dizziness or balance?
If dizziness, vertigo or balance problems are affecting your everyday life, book an initial Vestibular Physiotherapy assessment with Leda at Chichester Physio.
