Vestibular rehabilitation
Vestibular rehabilitation at Northwell Health Rehabilitation Network provides state-of-the-art treatment by experienced vestibular physical therapists to help patients resolve dizziness or vertigo and reduce fall risk factors due to inner ear or central nervous system dysfunction.
Vestibular rehabilitation is an exercise-based therapy that maximizes the body’s natural ability to compensate for inner ear and balance disorders. The goal is to retrain the brain to recognize and process signals from the vestibular system in coordination with vision and proprioception. Patients that undergo this form of rehabilitation experience decreased dizziness and unsteadiness, reduction or elimination of positional vertigo and spinning sensations, reduced risk of falls, improved mobility and increased safety and independence.
The trained and experienced vestibular physical therapists treat a wide range of conditions that can result in dizziness and imbalance including:
- Acoustic neuroma
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
- Disequilibrium and other balance disorders
- Labyrinthitis
- Ménière’s disease
- Mild traumatic brain injury
- Perilymph fistula
- Post-concussion syndrome
- Stroke
- Vestibular neuritis
Patients undergo a comprehensive, in-depth evaluation that includes infrared video imaging and recording of vestibulo-ocular function, use of Neurocom Balance Master and Biodex BioSway Balance Systems and standardized assessment scales to determine fall risk.
After evaluation, the therapist determines and individualized treatment plan which may include:
- A customized home exercise program
- Aerobic conditioning
- Balance retraining, utilizing both static and dynamic balance exercises
- Canalith repositioning treatment (CRT or Epley Maneuver) for BPPV
- Compensatory strategies
- Gaze stabilization exercises
- Habituation exercises
- Sensory organization training