Vertigo (Dizziness)

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Vertigo Treatment

Treatment for vertigo, or dizziness, depends on identifying and eliminating the underlying cause. If a particular medication is responsible for the condition, lowering the dosage or discontinuing the drug may eliminate vertigo.

Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy
Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a type of physical therapy used to treat vertigo. The goal of treatment is to minimize dizziness, improve balance, and prevent falls by restoring normal function of the vestibular system.

In VRT, the patient performs exercises designed to allow the brain to adapt to and compensate for whatever is causing the vertigo. The success of this treatment depends on several factors including the following:

• Age of the patient
• Cognitive function (e.g., memory, ability to follow directions in order)
• Coordination and motor skills
• Overall health of the patient (including the central nervous system)
• Physical strength

Vestibular rehabilitation therapy is designed by a physical therapist under the direction of a physician. In most cases, patients visit the therapist on a limited basis and perform custom-designed exercises at home, several times a day. As the patient progresses, difficulty of the exercises increases until the highest level of balance is attained during head movement, eye movement (i.e., tracking with the eyes), and walking.

According to the American Academy of Neurology, the most effective treatment for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) caused by ear crystals in the posterior semicircular canal, is a technique called the canalith repositioning procedure, or the Epley maneuver.

In this procedure, a physician or physical therapist assists the patient in performing a series of head and body movements, which move the calcium crystals out from the posterior semicircular canal and into another inner ear canal, where it is absorbed by the body. Another technique (called the Semont maneuver) also may be effective, but additional studies are needed.

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