Are you living with persistent bouts of vertigo? This unnerving spinning sensation can be incredibly overwhelming, but there are holistic approaches to healing vertigo that offer real relief. A recent patient of ours, a 42-year-old woman we’ll call Jessica, discovered this firsthand.
Jessica had been struggling with vertigo for months. Seemingly out of nowhere, she would be struck by a sensation that the world was spinning around her, even though she was standing still. These attacks left her feeling dizzy and unsteady and made her nervous about simple tasks like walking or driving.
Eventually, Jessica visited the team at Schultz Physical Therapy, where we confirmed that she had BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), a common source of vertigo stemming from crystal deposits in her inner ears. With a few simple maneuvers and a customized vestibular rehabilitation program, we helped Jessica find lasting relief–and we can help you as well.
Is vertigo affecting your daily life? Read more to see if our holistic approaches to healing vertigo are right for you!
The First Step: Identifying the Cause of Your Vertigo
While vertigo can feel like it comes out of nowhere, there’s always an underlying cause. In fact, vertigo itself is a sign that something is impaired in your vestibular system, which controls your body’s balance and stability. Usually, that impairment is related to the part of your vestibular system located in your inner ear.
Let’s return to Jessica’s story. At her first appointment, we conducted a comprehensive assessment to better understand her symptoms. By determining she had BPPV, we were able to select the right treatment techniques for her needs.
While BPPV is one of the most common causes of vertigo, it’s not the only one. Other potential causes include the following:
- Inner ear infections
- Meniere’s disease, a condition that causes fluid build-up in the inner ear
- Migraines
- Traumatic head injuries
The Second Step: Choosing the Right Approaches for Vertigo
Once we know the underlying cause of your vertigo, we’ll prepare a customized treatment program, just as we did for Jessica.
One of the most effective ways to treat BPPV is through a series of head and body maneuvers that help reposition the crystal deposits in the inner ear causing BPPV’s symptoms–so that’s exactly what we did for Jessica. However, someone whose vertigo stems from another cause (such as an inner ear infection) might require another approach.
Fortunately, we offer several techniques that can resolve or manage vertigo symptoms, such as the following:
Gaze Stabilization Exercises
- These exercises help improve eye movement control and reduce vertigo by training the brain to stabilize vision during head movements.
Habituation Exercises
- These exercises involve repeatedly exposing your body to specific movements that trigger vertigo, helping to minimize your symptoms over time.
Balance Training
- Tailored balance exercises improve overall stability and coordination by strengthening the muscles and systems responsible for maintaining balance.
No Matter Your Needs, We’ll Find the Right Approach for You
At Schultz Physical Therapy we tailor our holistic approaches to healing vertigo to meet your needs. No matter the reason for your symptoms, we’ll help address issues in the vestibular system so you can minimize or resolve your vertigo.
Ready to get started? Schedule an appointment at our Bogalusa, LA, and Franklinton, LA clinic today!
