vestibularVestibular Rehabilitation

If you are suffering from balance issues and dizziness vestibular rehabilitation can help.  Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a form of physiotherapy that uses specialized exercises that result in gaze and gait stabilization. Most VRT exercises involve head movement, and head movements are essential in stimulating and retraining the vestibular system. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy has been a highly effective modality for most adults and children with disorders of the vestibular or central balance system. In a number of studies, customized VRT programs were significantly more effective than generic exercises in resolving symptoms.

 

What to expect from a vestibular rehab session:

Your physiotherapist will begin with a comprehensive evaluation and perform tests in order to develop an individualized treatment plan which may include:

  • Balance retraining and balance strategies: helping the body to regain balance through a variety of exercises.
  • Sensory organization techniques and gaze stabilization strategies: helping the body to use its senses to overcome dizziness and decreased balance.
  • Habituation exercises: helping the body to decrease dizziness by repeatedly exposing it to a stimulus.
  • Canalith repositioning maneuver: a maneuver performed to manipulate the calcium crystals found in the inner ear.
  • Therapy sessions vary according to your specific needs, but typically include therapy 1-2 times per week for approximately 8 weeks.
  • Individualized home exercises, based on your needs.