PHYSICAL THERAPY & VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION

Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a form of physical therapy aimed to reduce dizziness symptoms resulting from a variety of inner ear disorders such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. The goals of VRT are 1) to enhance gaze stability, 2) to enhance postural stability, 3) to improve vertigo, and 4) to improve activities of daily living. VRT facilitates vestibular recovery mechanisms: vestibular adaptation, substitution by the other eye-movement systems, substitution by vision, somatosensory cues, other postural strategies, and habituation(BPPV) and other neurologic conditions, including unilateral and bilateral vestibular hypofunction, and post-concussive syndrome.

The therapist designs a treatment plan which includes supervised sessions and an individualized home program. Duration of treatment depends on the diagnosis and clinical symptoms; some patients may only be seen 1-2 visits while others may require 3-4 months.