We’ve all experienced dizziness at some point in our lives. Maybe you felt it after standing up too quickly or after a carnival ride. Maybe it came on after taking medication or during a migraine. It’s not a pleasant sensation. You may be unable to focus, see straight, or stand up without swaying or feeling like the world is spinning around you. If these are symptoms that you experience often, you may have been diagnosed with dizziness and vertigo.
These terms may seem interchangeable, but they are actually two different symptoms caused by problems related to balance. Your muscles, bones, joints, eyes, inner ear, and many other body systems must work properly for you to have normal balance. When these systems aren’t working well, you can experience balance problems that lead to dizziness and/or vertigo.
What is the Difference Between Vertigo and Dizziness?
Unfortunately, it’s a little tricky to diagnose why you are experiencing impaired balance. Vertigo and dizziness both affect your balance. They can occur at the same time, but often have different causes and different treatments. While these words are often used interchangeably, they describe different sensations. Dizziness is the feeling of being lightheaded, foggy or unsteady. Vertigo is not the same as being lightheaded. Vertigo is less common than dizziness and is an overall spinning sensation.
Because more than one body system can cause dizziness and vertigo, it’s important to address where the problem started to find relief from and treatment for your symptoms. Physical therapy is a beneficial, non-invasive process for treatment of dizziness and vertigo. Early assessment of your symptoms to diagnose dizziness and/or vertigo puts you on the path to relief so you can get back to living your life to the fullest.
What is Vertigo?
Vertigo gives the sensation or feeling that you or your environment is spinning. It’s a false sense of motion, making you feel off-balance and dizzy, even when you remain perfectly still. Vertigo is not a condition, but rather a symptom of an underlying cause. There are two main types of vertigo with varying causes:
1.] Peripheral vertigo is typically associated with an issue in the inner ear
2.] Central vertigo indicates a problem with the brain, usually in the back part (the cerebellum)
Vertigo Symptoms
In addition to spinning sensations, common signs of vertigo include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness
Ringing or hearing loss in the ears
Loss of balance
Difficulty focusing the eyes
Are you experiencing Vertigo or Dizziness?
Our physical therapists will customize a rehabilitation plan for vertigo, dizziness, and neck pain. We will work in an effective way to get you back on your feet, focused on your wellness before, during and after therapy.
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Insurances We Accept
Below is a condensed list of insurances we participate with throughout our network of physical therapy clinics. Find your particular provider below based on your area. For a complete listing of all insurance providers and individual plans by name: CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL INSURANCE PAGE.
Dizziness is a broader term that describes an overall feeling of being unbalanced. Dizziness can have different meanings to different people. Dizziness occurs for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to:
Poor blood circulation
Inner ear disorders & injuries
Neurological conditions
Low blood sugar
Anemia
Certain medications
Injury to the spine, neck, head, hips, knees, and/or feet
Dizziness Symptoms
If you experience dizziness, you may describe feeling lightheaded, unsteady, or generally off-balance. In addition to feeling off-balance, common signs of dizziness include:
Tunnel vision (short-term impaired vision)
Feeling woozy or faint
Headaches
Disorientation
Sudden paleness
Nausea
Vertigo and Dizziness Are Not to be Ignored
The purpose of physical therapy for dizziness and vertigo is to both manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Some exercises promote general balance while others train your body to cope with specific vertigo triggers.
Identifying vertigo and dizziness as the source of your discomfort is the first step to treating your symptoms and we are ready to support you every step of the way. Professional’s physical therapists can identify and treat vertigo and dizziness and are dedicated not only to getting you back to doing the things you love but doing everything possible to safeguard you from worsening symptoms and injuries that are caused by them.
Find the clinic nearest to you⇒ to speak with a Professional physical therapist who specializes in vertigo and dizziness today.
Physical Therapy Treatment for Vertigo and Dizziness?
If you suspect you are suffering from vertigo and/or dizziness, it’s vital to have an evaluation as soon as possible. Professional’s expertly trained physical therapists will discuss your concerns with you and examine the physical limitations and discomfort caused by your vertigo and dizziness symptoms. Your PT will design a treatment plan specific to you and your goals. The exact treatments will depend on the root cause of your vertigo and dizziness. Your physical therapist’s focus is to help you get moving again and manage your symptoms at the same time.
Below are just some of the treatment programs we use for dizziness and vertigo:
Strength, flexibility, and mobility training
Strategies to cope with dizziness when it occurs
Training for common activities to reduce the occurrence of the symptom (like vacuuming or dusting)
You can rest assured that Professional’s PTs will educate you on your diagnosis and work with you to develop goals and ongoing wellness strategies to rid you of your symptoms as much and as soon as possible. When you work with the knowledgeable physical therapists at Professional PT and take an active role in your treatment plan, you have the best chance of a complete and timely recovery.
If you are suffering from any neck pain that may not be related to vertigo and dizziness, please visit our primary neck information page⇒.
We provide treatments for vertigo, dizziness, and other balance problems from our physical therapy clinics Manhattan NYC, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Fill out the form above, or contact a clinic near you to speak with a Professional Physical Therapist and neck injury specialist today.
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