Dizziness is very common, affecting up to 20% of adults each year. The most common cause of dizziness is a condition called BPPV, or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.
This is an inner ear problem that causes short periods of dizziness when the head is moved in certain positions, such as bending over, lying down or turning over in bed. It occurs when small crystals in your inner ear move into a different part of the inner ear system.
Physiotherapy can help treat dizziness caused by BPPV using specific head and body movements. In order to do this, we move your head in certain ways, and see what effect that has on how you feel. Interestingly, it also causes movements of the eyes, and the direction of these are really important to help us treat the condition. While these unusual eye movements can sometimes be seen in room light, in some cases it is hard to determine the direction of the eye movement. Accurate assessment of the eye movement helps us to be sure about which ear (left or right) and which part of the ear is affected (there are three different areas, or canals, the crystals can move into).
In order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of BPPV and dizziness, The Physio Clinic now has infrared video goggles that allow precise viewing of the movements of the eyes. The patient wears these goggles during the assessment, which helps us to be certain of the diagnosis of BPPV, or to rule it out if there is another inner ear problem. Use of this technology by our accredited Advanced Vestibular Physiotherapist, Dr Michelle McDonnell, has helped to more accurately diagnose and quickly treat inner ear problems in our patients.
At The Physio Clinic, all our Physiotherapists are able to assess and treat the most common cause of dizziness. For further diagnosis of dizziness, and rapid treatment of dizziness disorders, this technology is available at our Prospect clinic.
For more information, phone The Physio Clinic on 8342 1233 or click here to book online
By Dr Michelle McDonnell | PhD | Neurological & Vestibular Physiotherapist
References
[1] Neuhauser HK. The epidemiology of dizziness and vertigo. Handb Clin Neurol. 2016;137:67-82. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63437-5.00005-4. PMID: 27638063.
