Don’t Live With Dizziness
Most people think dizziness and balance deficits are just a normal part of getting older and that they ‘just have to live with it’ or ‘it will go away on its own’. What these people do not realize is that physiotherapists have many tools to manage or even eliminate these symptoms.
Note: Sheddon’s physiotherapists from the Oakville and Burlington Physio Clinics are prepared and determined to help you get back to your regular activities.
For individuals with long-standing or chronic dizziness habituation and adaptation exercises are one such tool. Something as simple as taking specific movements that trigger the dizziness and making them into daily exercises can help your brain to better handle these situations when you encounter them throughout the day. A variety of balance exercises and strategies are also often helpful in these cases to decrease fall risk and improve confidence.
Those individuals who have an acute onset of dizziness, specifically a spinning sensation, will need a different plan of attack. These people will often describe approximately 10 seconds of ‘spinning’ with head movements or rolling over in bed. This is the classic description of BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) and although most episodes only last 2-3 weeks a physiotherapist with vestibular training can eliminate symptoms in 15-20 minutes! Unfortunately, research shows that approximately 80% of those people that get BPPV will get it again at some point in their lives. Although there are no preventative exercises, your physiotherapist can teach you the technique to use at home should it return months or even years later.
Next time you are feeling dizzy or if a friend or family member mentions dizziness remember that you don’t have to ‘suffer through it’. There are many different causes of dizziness and vertigo, your physiotherapist can do an in-depth assessment and create an individualized plan that may include some of the tools listed above in order to get you back on your feet.
For more info, contact Sheddon Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic at 905-849-4576.
We are located less than 10 min from Sheridan College Oakville and 6 min East of Oakville Place.
The Burlington physio clinic is located only 2 min south of IKEA Burlington and 6 min north of Burlington Golf & Country Club, on Plains Rd East.
