Vestibular Rehabilitation
Specialized therapy to reduce dizziness, ease vertigo, and help you feel steady again.
About this care
Vestibular rehabilitation is a type of physical therapy that addresses dizziness, vertigo, and balance problems linked to the inner ear and the brain's balance system. The inner ear sends signals about head position and movement, and when that system is not working well, you can feel spinning, swaying, lightheadedness, or unsteadiness.
After a careful evaluation, your therapist identifies what is driving your symptoms and builds a plan to match. For certain types of vertigo, gentle guided head and body positioning can help. For ongoing dizziness and imbalance, specific exercises help your brain adapt and recalibrate, a process therapists call compensation.
These exercises may include gaze stabilization to keep your vision steady when you move your head, habituation movements to gradually reduce dizziness triggers, and balance and walking training to rebuild steadiness and confidence.
Conditions we treat
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), brief spinning brought on by head movements
- Vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis, inner ear inflammation
- General dizziness or lightheadedness with movement
- Unsteadiness or frequent loss of balance
- Vestibular migraine
- Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD)
- Lingering dizziness or balance problems after a concussion
- Symptoms related to Meniere's disease
- Reduced inner ear function on one or both sides
What to expect
- 1
A detailed evaluation of your symptoms, eye and head movements, walking, balance, and strength to find the cause of your dizziness.
- 2
For positional vertigo, gentle guided repositioning movements that can help relieve symptoms, sometimes within one or a few visits.
- 3
A custom set of exercises, which may include gaze stabilization, habituation, and balance training tailored to your condition.
- 4
A home exercise program to practice between visits, which often speeds your progress.
- 5
Regular progress checks, with exercises adjusted as your symptoms improve.
How it can help
Common questions
Will the exercises make me feel more dizzy?
Some exercises, especially habituation movements, can cause mild, temporary dizziness. That is an expected part of helping your brain adapt, and it usually eases as you continue. Your therapist adjusts the intensity to keep it manageable.
How many visits will I need?
It depends on your diagnosis. Some types of positional vertigo improve in just one to a few visits, while ongoing dizziness or balance retraining may take several weeks or longer. We will give you a clearer estimate after your evaluation.
Do I need a referral or a specific diagnosis first?
Referral requirements depend on your insurance, and a prior diagnosis is helpful but not always required. Contact us with your situation and insurance information and we will guide you on next steps.
Ready to feel better?
Call either location to schedule, or reach out with questions about your insurance and benefits. We are glad to help you figure out the next step.