Vestibular Rehab
Feeling like you’re on the Mad Tea Party ride at Disney World trying to stand up from bed in the morning? Your vestibular system may be the cause.
What is the vestibular system?
The inner ear and its connections to the brain make up the vestibular system. It accounts for one-third of your balance (in addition to vision and sensation in your feet, i.e., somatosensory system), so when something goes wrong, it’s common to feel off-balance. There are many different vestibular disorders and combinations of disorders. Take a look at these handouts on the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy’s website for fact sheets regarding the various vestibular disorders.
What is vestibular rehab?
Vestibular rehab will look difference depending on the specific disorder you have. Some examples of treatment include:
Repositioning maneuvers for BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo)
Adaptation exercises for a peripheral vestibular hypofunction (vestibular-ocular reflex, i.e., VOR, training)
Habituation exercises to increase tolerance to a particular stimulus or stimuli
Sensory reweighting: up-training 1 or more of your balance systems that is not functioning optimally