Finding Your Balance: Understanding How Vestibular Therapy Works

Photo by Gustavo Torres on Unsplash

As I started physical therapy with my new patient today, Eunice, I was immediately struck by her inquisitive nature. As we began the exercises, I saw her mind actively processing what we were doing. I explained how the three primary senses – our inner ear, vision, and body sensations – work together for balance. I said, 'We're challenging this sense to make these other senses work harder.' I quickly realized I was likely talking in circles.

Like many intelligent individuals, Eunice wanted to understand the 'why' behind the exercises. Why were we doing these specific movements? What was the goal? This experience highlighted the importance of clearly explaining the underlying principles of vestibular therapy, not just to fellow professionals but also to our patients. So, this article is a way for both of you to understand better how physical therapy helps treat dizziness. Understanding the 'why' behind the exercises empowers you, our patients, to actively participate in your recovery, feeling more in control and engaged in the process.

Dizziness: More Than Just Feeling 'Off'

It's crucial to remember that 'dizziness' isn't always a single sensation. It can manifest in various ways, including:

• Vertigo: The sensation of spinning.

• Motion Sickness: Feeling unwell with movement.

• Lightheadedness: A feeling of faintness or unsteadiness.

• Disequilibrium: A general sense of imbalance.

• Behavioral Dizziness: Anxiety or unease related to movement.

The Amazing Balance System and When It Gets Confused

Our sense of balance is a sophisticated system that constantly integrates information from our inner ears (detecting head movement), our eyes (providing visual cues about our surroundings), and our body's sensors (telling us about our position and contact with surfaces). Usually, these three work together seamlessly.

However, when one or more parts of this system aren't functioning optimally, it can lead to a sensory mismatch. Your brain may rely too heavily on one sense over the others to stay balanced. While this is your body's coping mechanism, it can contribute to dizziness and unsteadiness.

Vestibular Therapy: Retraining Your Internal Navigation

This is where vestibular physical therapy comes in. Our exercises are designed with a specific purpose: to help your brain learn to process information from all three balance systems more effectively. Think of it as retraining your internal navigation system.

Instead of randomly performing exercises, we often follow a progressive framework. This means we introduce exercises in a specific order to challenge your balance system in a controlled way, gradually. As you perform these exercises:

• We are providing consistent "loads" or challenges to your balance system.

• This encourages your brain to recalibrate how it uses information from your inner ear, vision, and body sensations.

• The goal is to reduce the reliance on any one overcompensating sense and promote a more balanced sensory strategy.

How We Know It's Working: Observing Signs and Symptoms

As we progress through the exercises, we carefully monitor your subjective symptoms (how you are feeling) and any objective signs we can observe (like eye movement changes or balance test improvements). When we see a reduction in your dizziness and an improvement in your ability to maintain balance during these exercises, it indicates that your brain is adapting and developing a healthier sensory strategy. This progress is a source of relief and hope, suggesting that we are on the right track and can gradually move to more challenging activities.

The Goal: A More Balanced and Steady You

The ultimate aim of vestibular therapy isn't just to eliminate dizziness and help your brain find a more efficient and balanced way to process sensory information. As your sensory strategies improve, you should experience a significant reduction in your dizziness symptoms and an increased ability to participate in your daily activities with confidence. This reassurance about the ultimate goal of vestibular therapy should instill confidence and motivation in you, our patients, as you continue your journey towards a more balanced and steady you.

For My Fellow Vestibular Professionals:

Articulating these concepts to our patients is crucial for building trust and ensuring compliance. By explaining the interplay of the sensory systems and the rationale behind our progressive exercise approach, we empower our patients to participate actively in their recovery.

To Eunice and all my patients:

Your insightful questions are invaluable in helping me refine how I explain this complex process. This provides a clearer understanding of why we perform specific exercises and how they work to help you regain your balance and reduce your dizziness. We are working together to help your body find its steadiness again.