Vestibular Rehabilitation

Vestibular rehabilitation, also called vestibular treatment therapy (VRT), is a form of balance therapy for internal ear complications. The vestibular system is located in the inner ear and helps maintain muscle coordination, balance and stability. Symptoms of a vestibular problem include dizziness, vertigo and loss of equilibrium. Some symptoms last for a few moments, but some adults experience extreme imbalance for hours or days at the time. Vestibular deficits are a major medical concern, and the resulting effects of an untreated vestibular disorder can be distressing.

Vestibular rehabilitation involves specific moves or exercises that are recommended to correct challenges in the interior ear or retrain your brain to compensate for issues that cannot be fixed. It is a treatment for numerous disorders caused by infection of or problems for the vestibular system, or just from ageing.

At Red Canyon Physical Therapy, we have treatment plans that successfully treat vestibular problems and restore your quality of life. We use balance retraining to decrease dizziness, improve visual motor control, increase general activity levels, and improve your overall balance.

Benign Positional Vertigo

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (or BPPV) causes a false sensation of spinning and is the most common cause of vertigo. These symptoms often occur when the patient moves the position of their head. Although BPPV is rarely serious on its own, it can be dangerous if your balance is affected enough to create risk of falls.

Fortunately, the staff at Red Canyon Physical Therapy can treat BPPV by assisting you with simple but very specific head and neck maneuvers. We guide you through a series of 2-4 position changes, each one held for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. These repositioning treatments are designed to move the crystals from the semicircular canal back into the appropriate area in the inner ear.

Compensation Techniques

Some vestibular disorders are not directly treatable. However, after vestibular system damage, people can feel better and function can return through compensation. This is when the brain learns to use other senses (vision and somatosensory, i.e. body sense) to substitute for the deficient vestibular system. For many, compensation occurs naturally over time, but for people whose symptoms do not reduce and who continue to have difficulty returning to daily activities, physical therapy can help with recovery by promoting compensation.  This is achieved by customizing exercises to address each person’s specific issue.

Red Canyon Physical Therapy is an independently-owned practice that offers dedicated personal service and vestibular rehabilitation therapy for patients in Frederick, Hagerstown, Columbia, and Owings Mills. We work with insurance companies to determine copays, deductible amounts and keep patients informed of their status. We are happy to files claims on patients’ behalf, and also offer sliding payment scales and payment plans. Contact us today for more information.