18 August 2023
 Categories: , Blog

If you are experiencing recurrent dizziness, your doctor might refer you to a vestibular therapist to help determine the underlying cause of dizziness and whether you might benefit from therapy. During vestibular therapy, there are several types of exercises that are used to help you adapt to dizziness and reduce its occurrences.

Balance Retraining

Balance retraining involves performing activities that would normally make you dizzy and practicing them until they no longer cause the problem. The exercises prescribed will likely depend on the specific movements and situations that cause problems for you. Some examples include turning your head from left to right at a fast pace, several times. At first, this may cause serious dizziness and if the dizziness is severe, your therapist will tell you to continue practicing the exercise, but perform them more slowly or sitting down. With continued practice, you should find the exercises no longer cause you to become dizzy and you can do them at a faster pace.

Similar approaches can be used if dizziness is triggered by a specific situation like riding in a car or bright lights. Balance retraining essentially habituates you to the specific movement or situation so it no longer causes problems. Another component of balance retraining involves physical activities that improve balance. Some exercises might include walking a straight line by putting one foot in front of the other. Over time, you become accustomed to correcting yourself as you do each activity and should have fewer problems with stumbling or falling.

Gaze Control

A common problem for people who experience ongoing dizziness is nystagmus. Episodes of nystagmus cause your eyes to jerk back and forth and can give you the sensation that your visual field is moving when it's not. Nystagmus often points to a neurological cause of dizziness. To help mitigate nystagmus, gaze control can be used. One exercise used to help control your gaze involves looking at a target and moving your head left and right and up and down, but continuing to fix your gaze on the target area. As you become more acclimated, you should be able to perform the task faster and while standing, and eventually while walking, without any issues. The goal of gaze control exercises is to help your eyes focus on a particular target without inducing dizziness or nystagmus.

Some conditions causing dizziness can benefit from vestibular therapy. Although exercises will induce dizziness in the beginning, being consistent with your program should reduce triggers that cause dizziness.

Reach out to a physical therapist to learn more about vestibular rehabilitation.