If you have never experienced vertigo, then you might wonder why it’s such a big problem for those who do suffer from it. The fact is that many people aren’t even entirely sure what vertigo really is; there is a misconception around that leads people to think that it’s only a problem at heights and that being high up makes people dizzy.
The truth is that vertigo is not just getting dizzy at heights. It’s actually more than this. When suffering from vertigo, the body will think that it is spinning, even when you are standing still. As a result, you won’t be able to keep focused on anything, and moving becomes difficult, dangerous, and even impossible.
Vertigo can make the sufferer feel as though they are entirely out of control, and this can lead many to think that there is no cure – they put their lives on hold because they are afraid to do anything, just in case they experience vertigo again. The good news is that this isn’t the case; a good physical therapist will be able to help you. Read on to find out more.
What Causes Vertigo?
Vertigo isn’t linked to just one cause, making it rather more problematic than it otherwise would be. It can be something that only affects a person once, or in specific situations which they can then learn to avoid, but it can also be something that comes on suddenly with no warning and frequently, which is when it can become a much bigger issue, as mentioned above.
There are a number of different causes of vertigo. Sometimes it is linked to the inner ear, and trauma, infection, or injury to this part of the body can lead to vertigo on a regular or semi-regular basis, for example. It can also be triggered when someone has a migraine, a hole in the inner ear, after surgery, after a head injury, as a symptom of shingles, due to a stroke, due to multiple sclerosis, and many other reasons. It may even be caused by hormone imbalance. Studies are ongoing into exactly why some people suffer from vertigo and some do not.
Apart from feeling dizzy and experiencing the spinning sensation as mentioned above, other symptoms of vertigo include:
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Nausea
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Sweating
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Vomiting
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Jerking eye movements (called nystagmus)
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Loss of peripheral vision
Getting Help From A Physical Therapist
As we’ve mentioned, physical therapy for vertigo can be ideal for reducing the symptoms or even relieving a patient of the condition entirely. What’s truly wonderful about physical therapy is that it is always non-invasive, so there is no need to be concerned about having to have a surgical procedure, and recovery time is very short if it is even there at all.
When you make an appointment with a qualified physical therapist to discuss your vertigo, you’ll need to be able to open up about everything, ensuring they have all the details they need to understand your condition better, and therefore offer the best course of treatment. It might be best to see a doctor first and get an in-depth diagnosis to do this. Then, armed with this knowledge, you can visit a physical therapist and get the help you’re looking for.
At this point, your physical therapist will be able to create a treatment plan that uses exercise, movement, manual therapy, and stretches to alleviate the issue of vertigo.
