Physical Therapy Services
Vestibular Rehabilitation and Balance Therapy (VBRT)
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Spinning, dizzy, falling, or off balance? Vestibular rehabilitation and balance therapy (VRBT) is the specialized practice in physical therapy focused on evaluating and treating
patients suffering from symptoms of central and peripheral nervous system problems. These include trauma to the inner ear, head, or neck as well as viral conditions, age degeneration,
vascular abnormalities, and tumors. We work closely with your medical team to offer the best customized treatment approach for your care.
Patients suffering from vestibular and balance impairments range in all ages and can describe problems related to equilibrium, visual clarity with motion, posture, conditioning, and tolerance to positional changes. They generally also have increased fatigue, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating depending on the particular problem.
During your initial visit, you will spend approximately an hour one on one with a physical therapist. Your evaluation will include reviewing your current and past medical history, medications, lifestyle demands then focus on clinical tests of coordination, standing balance, visual clarity, dynamic movements, and video goggle eye examination for any nystagmus findings. Overall, we will develop a clinical assessment from a combination of your medical diagnostic testing, clinical presentation, and your personal goals to initiate a treatment program and help you return to work, play, driving, caregiving etc. Following your in-clinic treatment, a home exercise program will be introduced and progressed over serial treatment sessions. Please see our intake questionnaires to help us help you get started.
For older adults who are concerned about their independence and safe mobility, we offer a multifaceted treatment approach incorporating strength training, fall prevention strategies, sensory and motor balance re-training, eye-head coordination exercises, gait/transfer training, and functional dynamic activities to optimize your body function and assist you in returning to daily activities and recreation.
Treatment duration can be as short as two visits for uncomplicated forms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) to weeks of treatment for unilateral (1 sided) ear problems to months for multifactorial conditions. Whether you visit us for a known diagnosis, a pre-operative visit, a post-operative assessment or are interested in an examination to determine your P.T. diagnosis (see your insurance plan for specific coverage prior to your P.T. evaluation), we can offer your more information and treatment guidance.
Common problems treated in VRBT:
- Viral labyrinthitis or vestibular neuritis
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
- Disuse dysequilbirium
- Autoimmune disorders to the inner ear
- Surgical resection for acoustic tumors or vestibular schwannomas
- Meniere's disease/ gentamicin ablation
- Migraine related vertigo
- Psychogenic dizziness
- Ototoxicity
- Head injury/ traumatic brain injury/concussion
- Cervicogenic dizziness/ whiplash associative disorder
- Fall prevention
More Information/News Articles Related to VBT
- Inner Ear 'Rock Slides' Lead To Vertigo (NPR - 4/27/2009)
Intake Questionnaires
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