Dizziness is a common reason why adults over the age of 60 head to a clinic for medical care, but that doesn’t mean that dizzy spells are a normal part of getting older. Becoming dizzy when you’re standing and moving may not seem like all that serious of a condition, but left untreated your chance of a devastating fall skyrockets, so it’s not a symptom you should ignore.
The good news is that physical therapy is oftentimes very effective at helping treat dizziness, and because you don’t need a referral in Minnesota in order to consult with a physical therapist, treatment may be closer than you think! In today’s blog, we explain how a physical therapist can help restore balance to your life by reducing or eliminating your dizzy spells.
Why Am I Feeling Dizzy?
Dizziness can be caused by a few different underlying issues, which again speaks to the importance of consulting with a medical professional like a physical therapist to figure out exactly what’s going on in your body. Oftentimes dizziness is caused by or worsened by:
- Inner ear imbalance
- Trauma to the inner ear
- Ear infections
- Leg muscle weakness
- Blood pressure or blood sugar issues
- Chronic headaches
Once your physical therapist has a better idea of what’s contributing to your dizzy spells, they can get you set up with an individualized treatment plan.
Treating Dizziness With PT
Treatment will be based on your individual needs, which again speaks to the importance of an accurate diagnosis. That said, here’s a look at some common methods that physical therapists use to help treat dizziness.
- Manual Therapy To Adjust Inner Ear Balance – Your physical therapist can teach you some movement exercises or manually manipulate your head to help calm inner ear sensitivity, which plays a big role in dizziness sensations. Learn more about the Epley and Semont maneuvers to treat dizziness on this page.
- Gaze Stabilization – You can also decrease dizziness sensations by improving your gaze and how you look around an area. Exercises that help you focus on a stationary target while you’re seated or standing can help your line of focus seem less busy, which can sometimes serve to overload nerve sensations and contribute to dizziness.
- Balance Improvements – Dizziness and coordination problems can sometimes become less of an issue if you work with a physical therapist to improve your balance. Muscle strengthening and proprioception exercises can improve your balance and make dizziness less of an issue.
- Cardiovascular Improvements – If your dizzy spells are brought on by a cardiovascular issue like a rapid change in blood pressure, our team of physical therapists can develop safe exercises to improve your heart health and avoid big swings in blood pressure, which in turn should help limit or eliminate your dizziness.
If you are finding that you’re feeling dizzy more often or your balance just isn’t what it used to be, consider syncing up with a physical therapist and treating the problem so that you can reduce your risk of a dangerous fall. For more information about treating dizziness or vertigo, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (952) 922-0330.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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