After extensive testing to find the exact cause of your vestibular problems your physiotherapist has a range of treatment options to resolve your symptoms. Normally treatment would involve a blending of advice on activity adjustments and manual treatments to help reset and retrain your vestibular system. You will also be given a tailored and extensive home exercise plan to follow between therapy sessions. Treatment options include;
Epley Manoeuvre
This treatment applies if BPPV is the diagnosis. It involves sequenced and supported head and body movements. The Epley manoeuvre is well established and evidence based and is a very effective treatment that usually works within one session.
Gaze Stability Retraining
Gaze stability retraining involves exercises that teaches your eyes to move and focus correctly whilst moving your head. This improves the quality and accuracy of information that your eyes gives to your brain.
Balance Exercises
Balance exercises can be very simple from standing on one leg or can be more challenging like having your eyes closed on soft surface. The more practise you do the more finely tuned your balance system becomes and the more stable you will be
Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening exercises involve repeated movements with or without resistance. With increased strength your muscles have required the speed and power to react to demands on the balance system and essentially make you much safer.
Gait re-education
Gait re-education involves various walking exercises. This may include avoiding obstacles, walking whilst turning your head or walking and counting backwards with varying speeds. This will test the whole of the vestibular symptom meaning is can cope better when put under pressure without causing symptoms.
Functional task practice
Repeating tasks desensitises the vestibular system so you can do activities without getting symptoms.
Symptom management strategies
Learning the mechanisms to cope with symptoms means your condition can be kept more calmy regulated.
Relaxation
Learning methods to relax aids the body to recover from vestibular symptoms. This may involve breathing control, music, relaxation scripts or advice on sleep.
Pacing (planning the speed, frequency and intensity of daily tasks)
Fatigue is a large aspect of Labyrinthitis therefore learning to pace activities is crucial to controlling symptoms. Doing too much too soon will overload the vestibular system.
Graded exposure to uncomfortable situations
Straying away from certain activates or situations is understandably easier and more comfortable as you do not become dizzy but for long term and effective relief we need to gradually expose your body to situations which are more challenging. You will be given daily tasks to achieve this.
