Due to hurricane damage, the Havelock location is closed until further notice. Havelock therapists Hannah Zhang, Sarah Hall and Judy Hickes are available to see patients at the New Bern location. Please call the New Bern location at (252) 636-9800 to discuss your care.

Is vertigo tripping you up? Physical therapy can help you stop feeling dizzy!

postpartum dizziness

Feeling unstable? Room feel like it’s spinning around you? Symptoms like these are often connected with a type of dizziness called vertigo, and this and other forms of dizziness are all too common. 

It’s estimated that about 40% of Americans will experience dizziness or some other balance issue in their lifetime. Vertigo can be caused by a variety of conditions, but it’s typically characterized by a spinning sensation, lightheadedness and dizziness. You may even experience double vision. It can be caused by migraines, inner ear infections, head injuries, tumors and strokes. However, most vertigo involves a problem with the vestibular system — the inner ear. One of the most common types of vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), and vestibular rehab is one option that can help you learn how to stop feeling dizzy.

Vestibular rehab can help you figure out how to stop feeling dizzy

Vestibular rehab involves several techniques that a physical therapist can use to treat BPPV and help you stop feeling dizzy. One of these techniques is a series of movements called the canalith repositioning procedure (CRP). 

It’s a specific type of vestibular rehab therapy. It’s also referred to as the Epley maneuver and entails trunk and patterned head movements to move the displaced calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear. Other types of maneuvers include the Brandt-Daroff (BD) and Semont maneuvers (SM). The three treatments are highly effective, and researchers report that they have 95% (CRP), 98% (BD) and 90.3% (SM) success rates, respectively. 

Other types of vestibular rehab used to stop your dizziness

Vestibular rehab is an effective treatment for vertigo and can help you stop feeling dizzy. Our physical therapists can perform tests to determine its cause. You’ll also be asked how long the vertigo lasts, when it first started, if you have nausea with the spinning and what you’re doing when you experience vertigo. The goal of the physical therapist is to eliminate the symptoms of vertigo and get you moving again. 

Physical therapy for vertigo can take many forms. Home exercises are an important part of treatment for vertigo. Your physical therapist will give you specific home exercises to do on a daily basis. The exercises your therapist prescribes are intended to help: 

  • Improve your ability to focus your eyes
  • Help the brain learn to deal with inner ear issues
  • Improve balance
  • Increase overall flexibility
  • Improve joint function
  • Increase overall physical health

Peak Performance can help you figure out how to stop feeling dizzy

You won’t have to look far to find physical therapy that can help you figure out how to stop feeling dizzy. Our Peak Performance team includes physical therapists who specialize in treating balance and gait issues. We’ll start by performing a free screening to determine the source of your dizziness. Our specialists will then build you a personalized therapy plan intended to increase your stability and ability to move. 

Worried about getting a doctor’s referral before starting therapy with us? Don’t be! You don’t need a doctor’s recommendation before you begin using any of our therapy services. We can even help you get effective therapy from your home thanks to our virtual care and at-home therapy services. 

Are you ready to start getting our help with your balance issue? Contact us today for more information about how we can help or to schedule an initial appointment.