VESTIBULAR / CONCUSSION
ARE U DIZZY?
DO YOU FEEL THE ROOM AROUND YOU IS SPINNING?
DO YOU FEEL LACK OF STABILITY WHILE WALKING?
DOES BENDING OVER TO TIE YOUR SHOES MAKE YOU FEEL UNEASY, DIZZY?
ARE YOU HAVING PROBLEMS WITH FOCUS, CONCENTRATION OR MEMORY?
HAVE YOU BEEN IN A mva RECENTLY?
HAVE YOU SUSTAINED ANY HEAD tRAUMA?
HAVE YOU BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH VERTIGO OR CONCUSSION?
HAVE YOU SEEN A CERTIFIED PHYSIO FOR YOUR SYMPTOMS?
DID YOU SEEK REHAB?
The feeling of dizziness, headaches, loss of balance, falls, fatigue, difficulty in concentration, focus, blurred vision and many more falls under the umbrella of concussion and vestibular rehabilitation. Concussion is the phenomenon in which our brain undergoes a coup and counter coup mechanism leading to the damage of the tissues and thus associated symptoms. It could be caused but not limited to a Motor Vehicle Accident, sports related trauma, or trauma in general.
Closely associated to the concussion are the vestibular dysfunctions which have associated symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, disequilibrium, nausea, and visual impairment. However, the dizziness and vertigo can occur independent of concussion. The movement of the “crystals” in the ear canal can alter the balance system of the body. The eyes and brain reflexes dysfunction can lead to an altered sense of the body position in space and thus casue dizziness and affect balance.
Other diagnoses to be closely considered are Central Nervous System Disorders, Neuropathy, Age-Related Balance Dysfunction, Oculomotor (Visual) Dysfunction, Labyrinthitis, Ménière's Disease, Vestibular Neuronitis, Muscle Atrophy
An assessment to rule out the the central and peripheral vestibular mechanisms responsible for pathology can aid in management of the condition. A targeted approach as per the deficits can be applied.
The first step in your treatment is to help you understand what is wrong? Education is the key part of our treatment.
Following that is the treatment plan tailored to target your disorders, goals and needs.
The most commonly applied approaches are as listed below:
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) are treated using maneuver depending upon the diagnosis of your affected ear canals. The maneuvers are have an efficacy of 95%, for the symptoms to be completely resolved in 3 visits over a week.
To target the Vestibular Ocular reflex (VOR), in simple terms double vision experienced when trying to read the signs while walking is treated using gaze stabilization exercises.
To treat headaches, orientation and memory a series of joint proprioception, neck manual therapy, deep neck muscles training are incorporated. Balance training has been proven to be valuable in reducing falls and prevent the fear of walking to occur. These interventions have been found to improve pain, function and quality of life in both the short and longer term.
A low-level aerobic program is designed to help with fatigue along with the fatigue management strategies comprising of pacing and prioritizing tasks.
OUR GOAL AT MEADOW LIFE PHYSIO IS TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE WHAT IS VALUABLE TO YOU AND SUPPORT YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR RECOVERY.
If you are experiencing any symptoms, give our clinic a call to set up an appointment with our expert team.
References:
Dizzy.com
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468781219300177
