What is Vestibular Rehab?

The term "vestibular rehab" is used to describe specialized physical therapy for symptoms of dizziness and imbalance. The Physical Therapy team at Cooley Dickinson Hospital offers a Vestibular Rehab Program led by a senior therapist who has achieved nationally recognized credentialing in the treatment of dizziness and imbalance.

Understanding Dizziness and Imbalance

Dizziness is a common complaint, especially as you get older. Some people experience true vertigo or spinning, some may feel light headed and others may feel mostly off balance. These symptoms can have many different causes including medications, low blood pressure, inner ear disorders, heart trouble or other medical problems

Dizziness due to an inner ear disorder can usually be treated successfully by vestibular rehab. If you suffer from dizzy spells that come on when you roll over or look up, you may have positional vertigo that can be successfully treated in one or two visits. If you had an inner ear infection with severe dizziness and you still find yourself dizzy and off balance weeks afterwards, vestibular rehab can help you ease those symptoms. Sometimes no clear cause of dizziness can be found, but as long as your symptoms get worse with movement, special exercises can help you feel better.

Imbalance can also have various causes but often improves with Physical Therapy intervention tailored to your specific problem areas.

We Can Help You

• Resolve frightening dizzy spells
• Reduce your fear of falling
• Improve your balance and confidence
• Enhance your mobility and safety
• Improve your quality of life