Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy

Vestibular rehabilitation therapy and manual physical therapy can help people suffering from dizziness and/or a sense of imbalance.

Our balance is based on our ears, eyes, joints and our brain coordinating where our bodies are in space as well as keeping our view of the world level and still.  Problems occur when the brain receives contradictory or delayed information and/or our bodies do not react appropriately to the nerve impulses.

With positional vertigo (BPPV), one ear is sending a signal of movement and the other ear is not and the brain does not know how to respond.  As a result, individuals can experience the sense of spinning, falling motions, or nausea as the brain responds inappropriately to the mixed signals.  

Regarding our eyes, if the only place an individual looks is right in front of his or her feet then the brain has no chance to plan to react to upcoming obstacles or figure out the surroundings.

Often times the balance receptors or the neural pathways are slow and the brain does not get the information fast enough or clear enough to make appropriate changes.  Or if the joints and muscles are too stiff, they can not physically react fast enough to the nerve impulses sent from the central nervous system.

Vestibular rehabilitation therapy and manual physical therapy are designed to address the specific problems of individuals suffering from vertigo, a sense of imbalance, and joint stiffness through the use of physical therapy techniques.

So if you are, or know an individual with the above issues consider seeing Michael House, a board certified orthopedic physical therapist, at our Wheat Ridge clinic to ensure a better and safer lifestyle.