Physical Therapist, Elizabeth Bisoux
Certified in Vestibular Rehabilitation
Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy
An estimated 90 million Americans experience dizziness at least once in their lifetime.
For patients over 75 years of age, dizziness is the #1 reason for visiting a doctor
and dizziness is a significant risk factor in falls in elderly individuals.
What is Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy? Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) is a form of physical therapy that uses specialized exercises that result in gaze and gait stabilization. Most VRT exercises involve head movement, and head movements are essential in stimulating and retraining the vestibular system. VRT has been a highly effective modality for most adults and children with disorders of the vestibular or central balance system. In a number of studies, customized VRT programs were significantly more effective than generic exercises in resolving symptoms.
Why is VRT needed?
When the vestibular organs are damaged with disease or injury, the brain can no longer rely on them for accurate information about equilibrium and motion, often resulting in dizziness, vertigo, balance problems, and other symptoms. Many people are able to recover from these symptoms on their own after a few weeks of normal activity because the brain has adapted with a process called vestibular compensation.
However, if the vestibular compensation process is not successful, a person's ability to maintain posture and coordinate balance may become overly dependent on input from the eyes (vision) and muscles and joints (proprioception). In addition, the person may develop new patterns of head and body movement in an attempt to avoid dizziness and nausea.
The goal of VRT is to retrain the brain to recognize and process signals from the vestibular system in coordination with vision and proprioception.
These conditions can benefit from VRT -BPPV
-Bilateral and unilateral dysfunctions
-Otolith dysfunction
-Vestibular Labyrinthitis
-Acoustic Neuroma
-Ototoxicity
-Meniere's Syndrome
-Neurologic Disorders (stroke, brain injury, multiple sclerosis)
For more information or to find out if Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy can help you,
call PTSC at 417-256-5669.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be used as medical advice. Neither PTSC nor any associate of PTSC guarantees the accuracy of the information contained within this website. Please consult with your physician regarding diagnosis and treatment of any condition mentioned in this site. PTSC will not be held responsible for any action that may result from your failure to seek proper medical care.
