Dizziness can be a confronting and scary experience no matter how mild the symptoms. Losing control of our balance and body even for a moment can be terrifying, not knowing how long it will last and why it even presented especially if you’re used to relatively good health. The fear is mostly driven by the loss of control and our minds race towards the most sinister possibilities but fortunately, in most cases, it can be dealt with using a conservative physiotherapy approach.
Over 15% of the population will suffer an episode of dizziness at some stage in their lives. It can range from manageable mild episodes to disabling episodes making getting out of bed and other general activities such as walking or driving, risky. We start to lose our confidence and our lives become more insular causing further mental anguish. In some cases, job security hangs in the balance especially if the dizzy episodes place you or others at risk.
The good news is, many cases of dizziness are successfully dealt with using customized vestibular rehabilitative exercises from a vestibular Physiotherapist. The program originated in the UK some 30 years ago and has since become the gold standard for treating dizziness and balance problems associated with the vestibular system. The aim is to customise vestibular exercises in order to “re-calibrate” the balance system in the inner ear. The most common condition treated at our clinic is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). This is when a person feels dizzy turning or rising from their bed or with certain head movements such as looking up.
Our Physiotherapist Laura Power has expertise in vestibular rehabilitation as not all Physios have adequate training or experience in this field. Laura has worked for over 5 years at the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital as well as the Royal Melbourne Hospital (additional 2 years). She has co-authored and authored over 30 research projects in the field of vestibular and neurological disorders and has lectured at La Trobe University on vestibular diagnosis and rehabilitation to 4th-year Physiotherapy students. She is passionate about this very specific field of Physiotherapy and only consults patients with vestibular and neurological issues.
Common symptoms associated with disorders of the inner ear that Laura treats:
- dizziness
- vertigo
- nausea
- impaired balance
- unsteady walking
- blurred vision
- vestibular migraine
- reduced concentration
- increased fatigue
