Have you ever been sitting at a red light with a car beside you and the other car starts to move? We’ve probably all experienced that panic where we think we are the ones moving and jump on the brakes with as much force as we can muster. Only then do we discover it wasn’t our car that was suddenly taking on a life of its own but our brain playing a trick on us, telling us we were moving when we were sitting perfectly still.
That feeling is a result of Visual Vestibular Mismatch, a conflict in your brain where the visual information coming from your eyes does not match the vestibular information coming from your ears. Visual Vestibular Mismatch (otherwise known as VVM) is something that happens to us in every day occurrences. Think of that feeling you get when you’re watching the latest blockbuster movie and the only seats left were in the front row - sometimes, you’re not sure if it’s you or the screen that’s moving. That nauseous, unsteady, motion sick-like, gross feeling is a direct result of the VVM experienced in that moment.
When you have a concussion or vestibular disorder, VVM can be much more severe and affect every aspect of your life. Whenever you experience a lot of visual stimulation (especially if that stimulation is of the moving kind), the symptoms of VVM may rear their ugly head. Common situations for VVM include:
The grocery store - aisles upon aisles of colours, from floor to ceiling, with people moving in and around you
Crowded areas - think the mall at Christmas time. People without vestibular deficits feel gross there, never mind those of us who have vestibular deficits!
Places with kids and pets - all that movement in your peripheral vision can really play tricks on your brain
Patterns on the floors and walls - high contrast patterned wallpaper and rugs should be banished, in my humble opinion
Why Does This Happen?
We know our sense of balance comes from three main sources: the vestibular system, the visual system and the somatosensory system, also known as your sense of touch (for more information on these systems, check out my earlier blog on the vestibular system or head to the Vestibular Disorders Association). Our brain likes to use the vestibular system as the leader of the balance trio - it tends to be the one utilized most for figuring out where we are in the world.
With vestibular dysfunction, the brain will often switch to a vision-driven system - it doesn’t trust the information coming from the ears so it goes to it’s second choice. Now, the brain is using primarily visual information to figure out where it is in the world. Without having a trusty vestibular system to double check its information, the brain has a really hard time figuring out what is moving - you or the things around you.
What Can We Do About It?
A lot, actually! Vestibular rehabilitation can be very effective at treating VVM through balance exercises in eyes closed (if you can’t use your visual system to stay upright, you have to use something else!) and desensitization exercises to visual stimulation.
If you’re suffering from VVM, give us a call at (778) 630-8800 or book online at ladnervillagephysio.com.
Interested in learning more? If you’re nerdy like me, take a look at Dr. Art Mallinson’s thesis on Visual Vestibular Mismatch.