Jason is certified in Vestibular Rehabilitation and Concussion through the American Institute of Balance. This certification has given him a variety of tools he can use to assess the source of dizziness and imbalance.
The vestibular system is the balance system in the inner ear made up of fluid-filled tubes and chambers. Your brain uses the information from those signals to control balance while standing and walking, and even some reflexive eye movements that make it possible to see clearly while you are moving.
A common vestibular disorder is vertigo. Vertigo is a feeling that you or your environment is spinning, and can affect people of any age. Vertigo and balance problems are more dangerous for people 65 and over, as they are at greater risk for fractures and major injuries from falls.
Despite what most people think, dizziness, fear of falling, and balance disorders are not an unavoidable part of aging.
Many things can cause problems leading to dizziness or imbalance, like viral infections, head colds, flu, meningitis, swimmers’ ear, sore throat, foreign objects being inserted into the ear canal, as well as many other diseases. Even blows to the head or ear, loud noises, pressure changes (sometimes by blowing your nose or squelching a sneeze), many medications, chemicals, and alcohol can all play a role.
Some conditions that can be treated with vestibular rehab are vertigo, Ménière’s disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis, migraine headache, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and fall risk.
Dizziness and balance disorders can cause symptoms that are frightening and unexpected:
Vision – objects appear to jump, reading/writing is difficult, lights glow, blurry vision, poor depth perception
Hearing – fluctuations in volume, complete loss, ringing, buzzing, or ears feeling full
Gastrointestinal – nausea, feeling hungover, feeling of motion sickness
Memory – forgetting what you’re talking about, confusion, grasping for words
Coordination – clumsiness, dropping things, imbalance, muscle/joint pain, slurred speech
Emotions – loss of self-reliance, loss of self-confidence, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, depression, fear of falling
Other – headaches, discomfort due to temperature changes, pressure changes, wind currents, fatigue, exhaustion from everyday tasks, spinning feeling (vertigo), or vomiting
Vestibular rehabilitation helps manage dizziness, vertigo, motion sensitivity, balance, and postural control issues that can be caused by dysfunction in the vestibular system.
Patients with inner ear disorders regularly develop other symptoms associated with reduced activity levels. These might be decreased strength, loss of range of motion, increased tension (particularly in the cervical and shoulder area), leading to muscle fatigue and headaches.
Vestibular rehab can focus on exercises for: eye movement control, balance retraining, walking, and stretching/strengthening. It can help reduce symptoms of dizziness, improve balance, help stabilize vision, reduce risk of falling, and increase your body strength.