Vestibular Rehabilitation
Vestibular rehabilitation provides treatment and recovery to patients suffering from equilibrium disorders and vestibular system disorders. It provides relief to patient suffering from dizziness, vertigo and balance problems.
What is vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT)?
Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is generally an exercise-based program designed to promote nervous system compensation for inner ear deficits.
VRT provides help and treatment to patients with an acute or abrupt loss of vestibular function and patients suffering from conditions such as
- Paroxysmal positional vertigo
- Unilateral and Bilateral Vestibular Hypo-function
- Meniere's disease
- Labyrinthitis
- Vestibular neuritis
Vestibular rehabilitation program
A vestibular rehab program begins with a thorough diagnostics and evaluation process. That includes assessment of patient's medical history, observation of posture, balance and gait, eye head coordination tests, etc. After analyzing the data and patient's conditions specific head, body and eye exercises will be prescribed to patient for practice both in rehab therapy center and at home.
Importance of exercise in Vestibular rehabilitation program
The vestibular rehabilitation exercises are designed to retrain the brain to reorganize and process signals from the vestibular system and coordinate them with information from vision and proprioception.
Vestibular rehabilitation exercises
Eye exercises
- Move eyes up and down and from side to side slowly at first and then quickly without moving the head.
- Move your finger vertically in a straight line starting 3 feet away from your face and bringing it close in between the two eyes and try to focus on the finger.
- Look at a point 3-4 feet away from you straight ahead, and try to look at the same point with head turned 45 degrees towards the left and right. The exercise helps in gaze stabilization.
Head movements
- Move your head slowly first, and then quickly with eyes open, then closed bending forwards and backwards. Do the same procedure turning side to side.
- Sit straight on a chair and have target points situated to your right, left and center. Quickly turn your head focusing your eye to the right target, then to the middle target and then left target, pausing 2-3 seconds in each target assuming you are watching a tennis match. Repeat 15-20 times.
Other exercises
- Sit straight with legs laid flat in front of you. Quickly lie down straight on your back and wait for your symptoms to calm down and then sit back up again. Repeat 2-3 times.
- Sitting in a chair, bend down and bring your head towards your knee. Wait for symptoms to calm down and sit back. Repeat 3-4 times.
- Change from standing to sitting position with eyes open and closed and repeat several times.
- Throw a ball, hand to hand above eye level.
- Shrug and circle your shoulders.
- Walk across a room, up and down a slope, and up and down stairs with eyes first open and then closed.
- Play any game that involves stooping, stretching, and aiming.
Stop doing the exercises if you experience:
- Severe pain in your neck, head, or ear
- Sensation of fullness, deafness, or drone like sound in your ear
- Fainting, unconsciousness, blackout or double vision
- Numbness, weakness, or tingling in arms and legs
- Exercises should be done with some ones assistance and should never be performed alone when at home
Vestibular rehabilitation programs are designed for patients suffering from vestibular and balance disorders. Accurate diagnosis and appropriate interventions and treatment is what they provide to patients with complaints of dizziness or imbalance.
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