Feeling dizzy or having trouble with balance can make daily activities challenging. Trust the experts at Sentara to help you feel better with therapies to heal vestibular (inner ear) symptoms.
Vestibular Therapy: Why Choose Sentara?
Our therapists are experts in diagnosing and treating inner ear problems that create balance challenges. We provide personalized care to relieve symptoms and get you back on your feet. Patients consistently give our program high satisfaction scores for positive outcomes. Highlights include:
- Proven expertise: Our certified physical therapists have training in specialized vestibular exercises to help ease symptoms and improve functioning when you experience dizziness. Meet our experts.
- Convenient care: We offer vestibular therapy at Sentara Therapy Centers throughout Virginia and eastern North Carolina. Our same-day and next-day appointments make it easy to get the care you need in your community.
- Seamless referrals: Our network of Sentara experts means problem-free, fast referrals for needed specialty therapy services.
Vestibular Therapy Treatment and Services
Vestibular disorders include vertigo (feeling like you're spinning), hearing issues and balance problems. We diagnose and treat these disorders in people of all ages. Sentara specialists provide:
Testing and diagnosis
We start by talking with you about your medical history and a physical examination. Our physical therapy experts test your balance and gait (how you move). We also assess any musculoskeletal issues you may be experiencing.
Trained specialists in vestibular disorders may do additional testing, including:
- Electronystagmography (ENG): We place small electrodes on the skin near your eyes and do tests to measure your eye movements. Our experts change factors like your head position and the temperature in your ear canal to see how you respond.
- Hearing tests: Sentara therapists conduct tests that measure how you respond to sounds and the pressure between your eardrum and inner ear.
- Rotation tests: Our therapists attach electrodes to your skin or have you wear special goggles. We monitor eye movements while moving your head in different positions to learn how organs that regulate balance work together.
Therapists may use a CT scan or MRI to rule out problems that can cause vestibular symptoms. Depending on the cause of your symptoms, we may refer you to our neurological rehabilitation or occupational therapy experts.
Vestibular rehabilitation therapy
We teach you specific exercises that help your brain and inner ear work together to lessen dizziness and improve balance. Our specialists use:
- Balance training: Exercises designed to help you feel more stable when standing and walking
- Canalith repositioning: Specific head movements that help you feel less dizzy by shifting canaliths (calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear)
- Vestibular habituation: Special exercises that mimic dizziness-causing movements train your brain to become familiar with the movements and reduce vertigo.
Fall-prevention therapy
If you have significant balance issues that create a safety risk, we may refer you to our fall-prevention therapy program. Sentara therapists help you understand how to make your home and environment safer to help prevent falls.
Medications
Doctors may recommend certain medications to relieve motion sickness or control nausea. If you have an inner ear infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to clear the infection or steroids to reduce inflammation.
Conditions We Treat With Vestibular Therapy
Vestibular disorders can occur after injury or illness, or due to a degenerative condition (where cells break down over time). These disorders can cause symptoms such as:
- Balance problems
- Cognitive issues (trouble with thinking)
- Dizziness
- Hearing loss
- Nausea or motion sickness
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Vision problems
Many different injuries and conditions can cause vestibular symptoms, including:
- Inner ear problems (such as Meniere’s disease)
- Medications
- Posture issues
- Stroke
- Traumatic head injury
- Vascular disease
Benefits of Vestibular Therapy
Our therapies help you regain balance so you can move with strength and confidence. We help eliminate dizziness so you can feel better and focus on the activities you love.
Request an Appointment
Learn more about vestibular therapy at Sentara. Visit our locations.