Vestibular rehabilitation is used to treat inner ear and brain disorders causing symptoms such as dizziness, imbalance, vertigo and visual disturbances (such as difficulty reading or blurriness). Several conditions benefit from vestibular rehabilitation, including:

 

A vestibular therapist uses an exercise-based approach to treat vestibular disorders. Since the vestibular system’s main functions include balance and the coordination of eye movements, exercises are designed to target these two areas.

Want to know more? Click here for a link to our blogs posts about vestibular rehabilitation.

What should I expect during my assessment?

Before your assessment begins we will ask you to fill out a few questionnaires to help guide your assessment and treatment. Please arrive 15-20 minutes early to allow yourself enough time to fill these out.

Several systems affected by the vestibular system including balance, gait and sensitivity to motion will be evaluated. Eye movements will also be assessed in both room light and under infrared goggles.

The assessment typically lasts 45-60 minutes. After the assessment, some people report a temporary increase in symptoms. For this reason, we recommend someone comes with you to your first appointment.

Once the assessment is completed a customized treatment plan will be designed for you. Typically, this involves exercises for you to do at home and may also include a maneuver to correct BPPV.

Stephanie Yip, Chantal Simak and Devon Konrad treat people with vestibular disorders.

Resources

Balance and Dizziness Canada - an organization supporting, inspiring and educating those affected by balance and dizziness disorders as well as developing awareness of the issues surrounding these disorders.

Vestibular Disorders Association - a private non-profit American organization providing educational and emotional support for those with vestibular disorders as well as connecting practitioners across different professions to patients.

Ladner Village Physiotherapy exists in what is colonially known as Delta, on the traditional, occupied and unceded territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking people. As health care providers, we actively strive to understand the role of intergenerational trauma and health inequities applied through systemic and institutionalized racism with the goal of providing equitable and person-centred health care for all.