Oklahoma Physical Therapy is pleased to announce that they now offer vestibular rehabilitation. According to research more than 69 million people have experienced vestibular dysfunction. Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) has been proven to reduce functional disabilities, control symptoms and improve an individual’s quality of life.
What is a vestibular disorder?
The vestibular system involves the inner ear and the brain that is responsible for processing sensory information to help with controlling balance and eye movements. Once one of these processing areas become damaged either from an injury or disease, vestibular disorders can occur.
What are the symptoms of vestibular disease?
Many times, vestibular disorder goes undiagnosed and untreated. The most common symptoms are:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Impaired postural control
- Positional or persistent vertigo
If untreated many individuals experience a lack of ability to perform regular daily activities and their quality of life might begin to diminish. These issues can create a sedentary lifestyle as a person who Is dealing with vestibular disorder does not want to experience dizziness and imbalance. Decreased flexibility and muscle strength, increased joint stiffness and a reduction in stamina is a direct outcome of the sedentary lifestyle that can occur. Unfortunately, this diminish in quality of life can also contribute to other issues such as anxiety and depression.
How is vestibular disease treated?
Vestibular disease is generally treated with a specialized form of therapy called Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) and helps alleviate any type of problems caused by vestibular disease. VRT is an exercise-based program that is designed to decrease vertigo and dizziness. It can also reduce gaze instability, visual disturbance and/or falls due to lack of balance.
At Oklahoma Physical Therapy, our trained vestibular rehabilitation physical therapists, Jason Manning and Ben Martin, will partner with you to create a customized treatment plan that might include habituation, gaze stabilization and balance training. They will begin with a comprehensive clinical examination to identify the problems related to the vestibular disorder. This will include asking questions and speaking with you to better understand your symptoms and how they impact your daily life. They will also ask you questions concerning medications, vision or hearing problems, history of falls, and activity levels. Tests may be administered to gather as much information to create the best exercise program for you. The exercise program may consist of habituation, gaze stabilization or balance training.
To make an appointment, contact us today via phone at 405-749-6281 or online at https://oklahomaphysicaltherapy.com/make-appointment/.