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Get Your Balance Back: Dizziness And Vertigo Are Often Treated With Noninvasive Physical Therapy

1 August 2016 by Sasha Meyer

Dizziness and vertigo are no fun, and the worry over what might be causing you or a loved one to lose their sense of balance only adds to the misery. Many times there is a simple vestibular cause that can be diagnosed and treated with non-invasive methods including physical therapy.

Your head wants to level itself

Your body's vestibular system is made up of fine-tuned instruments in the "vestibule" of your inner ear. The three intertwined rings in the system -- made up of the labyrinth's semi-circular canals -- might be viewed by carpenters as tiny levels, which is indeed what they are. 

Each ring in the system contains liquid and particles that brush against the tiny hairs lining its inside surface. The specific touch of particles on the sensitive hairs and the movement of fluid tells your body where your head is oriented.

One canal measures your movements as you roll your head; the next detects when your head nods back and forth; and the last canal detects when you are shaking your head.

Sometimes the canals malfunction

The fluid in your labyrinth's canals can get sticky and thick if you're exposed to a virus, allergen or other body invader. The fluid may flow more slowly or the little particles may clump together and tell the hairs the wrong thing. They may tell your body that your head is in the same position as if you were lying down when you're really standing up.

Drugs, alcohol, traumatic injury and chronic disease may also affect the ability of the canals to properly help your body remain in a balanced state. An ENT or vestibular specialist can conduct tests to see if your dizziness is caused by a problem with your inner ear.

You may be asked to slip on some Frenzel goggles 

Specialists may check out your vertigo issues with Frenzel goggles. These look like virtual reality shades but they are far more helpful. The doctor or technician will normally place you in an odd position with your head leaned back at an angle so the fluid in your canals will attempt to adjust.

Frenzel goggles block out light so your eyes can't focus on a horizon or other points of reference. This allows the examiner to really study your eyes when they have no visual cues. You see, when your inner ear canals are not "leveling" you properly, your eyes will overcompensate by fluttering slightly side to side in a movement called nystagmus. 

Nystagmus can be an almost imperceptible movement in very mild cases, but some Frenzel Goggles capture a video of the eyes, which can be played back in slow motion. The presence of this compensatory movement often leads to a diagnosis of vestibular causes of dizziness, which may be cured with exercises and other treatments your physical therapist and physician will recommend.

Management of vestibular-related vertigo or dizziness 

If vestibular problems are responsible for your vertigo or dizziness your physician will check for any disorders that may be causing your vestibular problems and treat them first. For example, if you have an infection you may be prescribed medication to fight the bug or boost your immune system. Once any underlying issues are addressed, your vestibular system's problems will be managed, possibly with one or more of the following treatment methods:

• Eye movement exercises with physical therapist (PT)
• Head and body movements with PT 
• Counseling for mental and emotional support
• Medication adjustment and dietary changes
• Home exercises and home safety equipment

The head and body movements can sometimes "reset" the fluid and particles in the ear canals by putting them in a strange position. But noninvasive methods don't always work. Sometimes surgery is required to treat dizziness and vertigo. 

Address your dizziness and vertigo with your doctor. Imbalance issues caused by your vestibular system can often be cured with as simple a fix as a few trips to a physical therapy practice.

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