Vestibular Physiotherapy / Balance Training
What is Vestibular Physiotherapy & Balance Training?
We need to have good body balance to carry out simple activities in daily life like sitting up in bed in the morning to more challenging activities like crossing the road or boarding/alighting the train during the rush hour.
A healthy balance system involves the judicious mix of sensation from skin, joints, muscles, inner ear, eyes going to the brain and the appropriate response from the brain to the muscles and joints to keep our body upright and prevent a fall.
Patients with some impairments of the inner ear e.g. Vertigo, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) need to cope up with dizziness/vertigo and consequent imbalance. Elderly, patients with head injuries, Diabetic Neuropathy, neuromusculoskeletal disorders also complain of dizziness, unsteadiness in moving and fear of fall. These problems can increase with increasing age.
The good news is we can improve our balance with exercise. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) helps reduce or eliminate vertigo and imbalance.
In what ways does vestibular physiotherapy benefit?
Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) improves balance, minimizes unsteadiness in moving, reduces fear of falls, restores confidence and return to the community life.
In VRT, Exercise programs are customised and prescribed by Physiotherapists depending on the existing severity of the problems, and functions desired by the patient so that the person can once again participate in community life.
Vestibular physiotherapy helps with:
- Reducing dizziness and related symptoms,
- Repositioning calcium crystals in the inner ear.: In cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
- Improves vision stabilization
- Increases muscle strength
- Improves neuromuscular coordination
- Decreases anxiety
- Improving balance and reduce your risk of falling
- Moving outdoors independently
Common conditions encountered for vestibular physiotherapy and balance training:
- Vertigo
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
- Labyrinthitis
- Vestibular neuritis
- Dizziness in the elderly
- Ataxia
- Balance impairments due to Neuromusculoskeletal disorders
- Postoperative Orthopaedic and Neurological conditions
… and many more conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does a Physiotherapist plan a treatment?
A Physiotherapist’s approach to treatment is to treat a ‘person’ rather than “just a body part”.
A Physiotherapist will assess you and make a need-based personalised treatment plan depending on your medical diagnosis, health condition, body mechanics , your existing functions, activities and functional needs at home, workplace and outdoors. The treatment plan includes scientific and evidence-based techniques and a home exercise program which will be customised as per your unique situation, needs and goals.
Is a Doctor's prescription needed prior to Physiotherapy?
Very often Doctors refer the patients for Physiotherapy. Prescription is necessary, especially for post Stroke, Myocardial infarctions, inflammatory disorder, infections, post operative cases, fractures etc. to ensure that the patient is medically stable and can be mobilised.
In case the patient consults a Physiotherapist directly, the Physiotherapist will do a thorough physical examination, diagnosis and guide the patient, and refer to the appropriate medical speciality as necessary. A Physiotherapist is part of the Medical team. They work closely with the Doctors.
Ensure to carry your prior investigations, medical records, discharge summary etc. with you for your consultation.
What is the duration of each session?
This will depend on the type of your health condition. Some may take as less as 15 minutes to some up to 45 min and sometimes even longer for patients with multiple issues.
How many sessions/days of Physiotherapy will I need to take?
This will depend on your health condition. A simple sprain of muscle spasm may be treated in 1-2 sessions whereas conditions like post fractures/ surgery, Stroke, spinal cord injury, respiratory cases may require many more sessions. Your Physiotherapist will be able to guide you.
However, please remember that there will be certain exercises, change of work style habits, Do’s and Dont’s that your Physiotherapist will advise you which you have to carry out routinely for prevention and recurrence of symptoms.