You’re dizzy, can’t see straight, having trouble standing upright, experiencing that unrelenting vertigo…all the while, do you know that there is something you can do about it?

Many people go through life struggling with poor balance and dizziness, not realizing that these symptoms can be treated. With the development of vestibular rehabilitation, many are finding that they can learn to cope with their symptoms and often times eliminate them entirely, making their days a little more balanced.

A relatively new component of neurological rehabilitation, vestibular rehabilitation focuses on the influence of the vestibular system (inner ear function) on balance. The vestibular system works with the somatosensory and visual systems to maintain posture and balance. A dysfunction with one or more systems can greatly limit function and mobility, creating risk of falls and injury as well as anxiety.

Physical Therapist Diedra Olin has worked at North Fulton Regional Hospital for the past two years. After working extensively in balance development with the pediatric population, she has brought her interest in vestibular dysfunction and balance to the Outpatient Rehabilitation Department. “When I was in school for my MPT [master of physical therapy], we spent only one day on the vestibular system and its rehabilitation,” says Olin. “It’s now a growing area of rehab because of increased research in balance and dizziness, and although all physical therapists are licensed to do vestibular rehabilitation, not everyone is thoroughly trained.”

Patients that can potentially be helped by a vestibular therapist suffer from symptoms ranging from mild disequilibrium to severe vertigo and nausea. Vestibular dysfunction has many etiologies and is managed by primary care physicians, neurologists, ENTs, rehabilitation and physical medicine physicians, orthopedists, and neurosurgeons.

The most common cause of dizziness is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and can affect people of any age. Patients complain of the sensation of spinning during particular positional changes or head movements. Through a series of repositioning maneuvers and positional exercises, a patient’s symptoms can be drastically reduced or resolved. Other types of dizziness are treated with exercises and balance training.

“I had a patient that was traveling by train, and as he was walking through the station he got very dizzy. As he was looking from left to right to find his train, his vertigo and nausea were worsening, and he was starting to lose his balance. Because of the treatment he had received, he focused his gaze on a close-by, stationary object to help stabilize himself.” This technique, known as gaze stabilization, allows people to use their vision to clear their dizziness and re-gain their balance.

Resolving or learning to manage vestibular problems can be a slow process. Because the exercises often provoke symptoms and can be noxious to the patient, care is given to design a gentle but steady home program. Compliance with the home program is crucial, and patients need to be seen by the physical therapist for exercise progression; therefore, the therapist may recommend less frequent treatments over a longer period of time for best results.

One reason for Olin’s passion for vestibular rehabilitation lies in the absolute fear some have of getting dizzy. “Simply the fear of getting dizzy can be debilitating for some people. They fear getting it while driving…it actually makes them sick just thinking about it.” So she works to alleviate these fears as best she can by providing coping skills and ways for her patients to handle their dizziness when it comes so it does not become overwhelming.

“It makes sense that dizziness can be accompanied by anxiety. Through vestibular rehabilitation, patients gain the confidence to manage their dizziness with exercises and compensatory measures. Since I can’t treat patients forever, a lot of what I do involves educating patients about balance and the vestibular system and then teaching exercise progression,” says Olin. “People who have dizziness and poor balance are typically very motivated to do their exercises because their conditions are so dangerous and functionally debilitating. These patients are at a high risk for falls, so safety is a main goal of therapy.”

So that medical professionals can recognize when to refer a patient for vestibular rehabilitation, Olin seeks to educate both hospital staff and physicians in the community about the program at North Fulton regional Hospital. The vestibular rehabilitation services serve to strengthen the existing neurological component of outpatient rehabilitation, and provide the North Fulton community with much needed services close to home.

For more information about Vestibular Rehabilitation at North Fulton Regional Hospital, call 770-751-2650, or visit www.northfultonregional.com/rehab.