Ruth Walker is a healthy 54 year old teacher who woke up suddenly this morning with the room spinning around her. She sat very still and the spinning gradually stopped but when she went to stand up she was off balance and nauseous.

Ruth called her husband and they drove to the hospital, thinking she may have had a stroke. After several hours and tests, the ER doctor diagnosed Ruth with “vertigo”, gave her an anti-vertigo medication and told her it would “just take time” to go away.

Ruth is one of thousands of Canadians that make similar trips to their hospital or family doctor every year for inner ear disorders that result in vertigo.

The definition of vertigo is the “sense of movement when there is none”. Some people experience the room moving around them, others have the sensation that they are spinning and the room is still. There are many causes of vertigo, but one of the most common is called BPPV, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Benign because there is no tumor or malignancy, paroxysmal because the vertigo “comes and goes”, positional because the vertigo comes on with very specific head positions, and vertigo due to the sense of spinning.

BPPV occurs when tiny calcium carbonate crystals normally housed in a sac in the inner ear become dislodged and float into one of the semi circular canals. When the head is still, the crystals aren’t moving and there is no vertigo. As soon as someone with BPPV looks up or down or rolls over in bed, the crystals “slosh” in the canal and stimulate receptors inappropriately which gives the sensation of spinning. As soon as the crystals stop moving, the spinning stops.

BPPV can occur at any age, sometimes without a visible cause. Concussions, ear infections and stress can all be triggers. The likelihood of BPPV increases with age as the hair cells in the inner dry out and are more likely to let the crystals “fall off” into the canal.

Other symptoms of BPPV can include nausea, imbalance, vomiting and a pressure or “stuffiness” in one ear or both. Some people may also have “tinnitus” or an abnormal sound in the ear.

The good news is that there is a very simple and effective treatment for BPPV. Unfortunately many doctors are unaware that such a treatment exists and the medication that is given is ineffective and may actually impede recovery in some cases.

A Registered Physiotherapist with advanced training in Vestibular Rehabilitation will perform a thorough assessment with you to ensure that the vertigo is in fact coming from the inner ear. If the assessment indicates BPPV they will perform a very simple, painless maneuver to clear the canal of crystals and place them back into the sac where they belong. This maneuver is extremely effective and if done properly should correct the problem in the first visit. A follow up appointment is usually recommended to re-check the canals and ensure other problems, like decreased balance, have been addressed.

Registered Physiotherapists in Canada do not require a doctor’s referral and their services are covered by most extended health care plans. Not all physiotherapists are well versed in vestibular disorders so it is important to do your research and ask if they have advanced training in this area.

For more information on Vestibular Disorders and to find physiotherapists with this training in your area, The Vestibular Disorders Association (VEDA) has an excellent website with the most up to date and well researched information available.

IF YOU’RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH DIZZINESS, VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION MAY BE THE SOLUTION!

If you are like other people who suffer from dizziness or vertigo you may be having difficulty getting a diagnosis. Your doctor may have sent you for tests, referred you to specialists or given you medication without any success in determining the cause of your symptoms.

Many different disorders can cause dizziness and each case is unique, which makes a diagnosis difficult.  If your doctor can determine that the cause of your dizziness is the inner ear, Vestibular Rehabilitation is likely appropriate for you.

Vestibular Rehabilitation is non-invasive and uses simple exercises to allow the brain to compensate for the inner ear. The exercises should be prescribed by a Registered Physiotherapist who is trained specifically in Vestibular Rehabilitation. The program can be done at home with follow up visits to progress the exercise program as appropriate.

Vestibular Rehabilitation is highly effective if the exercises are done as prescribed. Improvement of symptoms is usually noticed within the first couple of weeks.

Many people who have vestibular problems become fearful of going out of their house, driving and doing normal daily activities. Vestibular Rehab will help to restore your confidence and gradually return you to the things you enjoy.

In Focus is excited to launch a new blog dedicated solely to providing support for people with vestibular conditions.  Whether it be vertigo, dizziness, or balance impairments, vestibular issues can have a very negative effect on our day-to-day lives.

This site is designed to provide a forum for people to learn more about vestibular conditions and the issues that can arise from them. Furthermore, we will provide information about the advanced and successful treatment(s) that are available.

In addition, it will provide an opportunity for open communication between individuals who can share about their experiences with these conditions, as well as any successful/unsuccessful steps they have taken in dealing with them.

We look forward to hearing from you.