Physical Therapy for Vertigo

Have you ever rolled over in bed only to feel nauseous, perhaps even to the extent that it made you physically ill? 

Do you feel this way even when you’re simply sitting up from lying down? 

It’s possible this feeling stems from a condition called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). The condition is characterized by feelings of nausea caused by a sudden change in position, difficulties in maintaining balance, dizziness and/or a spinning sensation. These symptoms last for a short time before subsiding, usually anywhere from a few seconds to few minutes.  Understanding how BPPV happens also allows us to know how to treat it.

Within our ears, we have three tube-like structures called semicircular canals, as well as little calcium crystals called otoconia, which are located in a little pocket next to the canals. The purpose of the otoconia is to move with our head and send signals to our brain about our body’s position in space. In BPPV, these crystals move into the semicircular canals and cause abnormal signals to be sent to our brain from the canals, directly leading to the feelings of vertigo, nausea, loss of balance, and vomiting. This can occur for no explainable reason, but it also can be associated with a blow or trauma to the head or simply older age.

These symptoms can be devastating to experience and can make navigating one’s day difficult and uncomfortable. Our Physical Therapists are trained to find the source of your BPPV and to remove the otoconia from the semicircular canals using canalith repositioning maneuvers. Strong research indicates that patients who were treated with these maneuvers experienced immediate relief of symptoms and an increase in their daily function. Relief after 1 session of physical therapy is possible!  Physical therapists can even teach you how to perform the maneuvers at home in the likely case of a recurrence so that you can readily feel relief at the first signs of BPPV.

If you or anyone you know suffers from similar symptoms, please give us a call.

Contact Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy to get your therapy started today!
Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy Great Neck: 516-829-0030
Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy Farmingdale: 516-420-2900
In-Home Physical & Occupational Therapy: 516-829-0030

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Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy is an outstanding specialty service providing exceptional care and state-of-the-art treatments for the residents of Farmingdale and Great Neck, New York. The combination of innovative exercise programs, manual therapy, and technology together with the expertise of every member of the team enables Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy to provide services that ensure superior clinical outcomes and consistently high patient satisfaction.