The vestibular system is a part of the inner ear that is responsible for helping you with balance. Following head trauma (major or minor), many times the vestibular system is affected and this will result in sensations of dizziness or vertigo.  This system is very complex and closely connected to your eyes, so visual disturbances may also be caused by vestibular deficits. Because of the complexity of this system, it is very important that a specialist in this area perform the testing and treatment required to address these issues.

 

How Do I Know If I Have A Vestibular Deficit?

 

Because of the complexity of this system, symptoms often vary depending on what is wrong. However the most common symptoms are dizziness and/or vertigo. These symptoms are often brought on by a change in head position, such as bending forward, looking up, bending forward, or rolling over in bed. The symptoms may also be present when trying to look at moving objects, or when looking at objects with busy or moving backgrounds.

 

What Does A Vestibular Evaluation Look Like?

 

There are many aspects to the evaluation of the vestibular system. This may include written questionnaires to determine the extent of your symptoms and what brings them on, positional testing that looks to try and reproduce your symptoms, and specific visual examinations to look for various eye movements related to a vestibular impairment.

 

 

What Does Vestibular Treatment Look Like?

 

This will of course be determined by what is found on evaluation, but some of the more typical interventions include:

 

Repositioning maneuvers - these are used in the treatment of a condition called BPPV (Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). For this treatment the patient is instructed to move their head and body into various positions in order to move a type of tiny crystal called an otolith, back to where it belongs. This is the most common type of vertigo and the treatment is extremely effective, with the condition often resolving immediately following this maneuver.

 

Head and Eye movements - various exercises may be performed to retrain your vestibular system and your eyes to regain their ability to work together optimally.

 

Habituation - This is a type of exercise where you will practice performing various activities that may trigger your symptoms. Over time with this practice your symptoms should no longer be triggered by these activities.

 

Cervical Joint Position Error (CJPE) - Often when someone sustains an injury to their head, their neck is also affected. Injuries to your neck may result in something called ‘cervicogenic dizziness’. In order to see if this is contributing to your symptoms we will assess your awareness of your head position. If this awareness is not accurate, various exercises will be performed to retrain the sensors in your neck to restore the accuracy.