According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), by the year 2030, the number of people age 65 years or older will double, AND by 2050, it is estimated that those age 85 or older will quadruple. With that in mind, along with the fact that dizziness is one of the top complaints of people over age 70, we can assume that the effects of dizziness, including an increase in falls, will continue to be a growing health concern.  In fact, falls are not only the leading cause of brain injury and fractures, but they are also the leading cause of death for those over age 65, with an estimated cost in healthcare of $3.2 billion.

Difficulty with dizzy and balance can lead to hospitalization, reduced independence, and a decreased quality of life. Thankfully, there is hope with physical therapy intervention.

How Physical Therapy Can Help with Dizziness?

Vestibular Rehabilitation is the gold standard to help people get relief from their dizziness followed by Carnality Repositioning and Balance Retraining. These are the three standard physical therapy interventions for dizziness.

• Vestibular Rehabilitation entails using a progressive set of exercises that improves how well the eyes and ears work together. The goal is to decrease how dizzy you feel after being safely and slowly exposed to what makes you dizzy, and/or allow your body to adapt to your dizziness. Vestibular rehabilitation typically requires 8 to 12 visits.

• Canalith Repositioning is used primarily when a person is experiencing Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). This repositioning consists of the therapist guiding you through a series of positions laying on their back and side. At no point does the neck hyperextend. This positioning takes five minutes and typically the patient feels results within 1to 3 visits.

• Balance Retraining consists of evaluation and correcting deficits that may lead to poor balance. These deficits can include but are not limited to decreased leg range of motion, poor posture, decreased leg strength, lack of endurance, or loss of proprioception. Your therapist will challenge you in therapy to improve any deficits and provide you with a home exercise program to allow you to practice at home.

How to Choose the Right Physical Therapist for Dizziness?

Physical therapists are trained in Vestibular Rehabilitation during their standard and general continued education, but some go above and beyond their general licensure requirements to earn a special certification. Those therapists who earn this certification become a Vestibular (dizzy) Specialist.

Vestibular Specialists receive training that include learning about the anatomy and physiology of the inner ear, disorders affecting vestibular function, vestibular evaluation, neurophysiology of central compensation, vestibular rehabilitation protocols, psychogenic factors affecting vestibular rehabilitation outcomes, and case studies. In order to maintain their certification, vestibular specialists must sit for an exam as well as re-examinations every two years.

Before choosing a therapist to help manage dizziness, be sure to ask about the type of training they have in Vestibular Rehabilitation, as well as their years of experience dizziness therapy. You can even ask for a written report with how well patients who receive Vestibular Rehabilitation do at that clinic. Outcomes are a measurement of how much dizziness a person had at their first visit and how much their dizziness decreased by their last visit.

We Can Help!

At Trio Rehabilitation, we utilize a questionnaire called the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, which is a set of 25 questions to help evaluate the amount of dizziness being experienced, and the level in which it impacts daily life. This inventory breaks down dizziness into how much it affects daily functions, emotions, and overall physical well-being. There is a maximum score of 100 points; with the higher the score, the greater the perceived amount of disability due to dizziness.

In addition to providing a full assessment by a certified Vestibular Specialists, we pride ourselves on having positive measured outcomes showing that our patients feel less dizzy at the end of their program than they felt at their initial evaluation.  We also make every effort to ensure our patience leave us feeling educated, prepared and empowered to manage their dizziness own their own at home.

Download Our Outcome Report

We are pleased to have Suzanne McCrum, a certified Vestibular Specialists, as a member of our team here at Trio Rehabilitation.  Suzanne earned her special certification at The American Institute of Balance. If you want to learn more about how Suzanne and our team of physical therapists can help you manage dizziness, or if you’re ready to schedule a Vestibular Rehabilitation appointment, give us a call.

Suzanne McCrum, PT, DPT, CSRS, AIB (American Institute of Balance)
Trio Rehabilitation & Wellness Solutions
Boerne, Texas