If you experience dizziness, one of our physiotherapists will be able to help assess and determine if there is an inner ear disorder. The most common type of vertigo is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). 

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What is BPPV?

BPPV involves the dislodgement of tiny bones (otoconia) into the wrong inner ear canal. When you change your head position, these crystals move within the semicircular canal and give a false sense of rotation – dizziness.

BPPV has multiple possible causes. Clinically, we have seen it associated with head trauma, after a prolonged recumbent position (perhaps at the dentist or the hairdresser) or if there is a disorder of the inner ear such as Menieres disease or

Labyrinthitis. Aging can also changes the structure of the octoconia and increases the likelihood of

dislodgement. 
 

Symptoms of BPPV

BPPV typically involves brief but severe episodes of head spins usually when lying down,

rolling or bending over. It can also feel like:

- Light headedness

- Imbalance

- Motion sensitivity

- Nausea​
 

What is involved during an assessment?

During an assessment, we will assess your neck movement, eye movement and balance as well as conduct positional tests to stimulate the inner ear. If you have BPPV,  treatment involves precise head positioning to redirect the crystals back into the macula. And thankfully this is really successful. If you have BPPV in your posterior canal, the most common presentation, expect a 70-90% improvement in 1-3 sessions. 
 

Other vestibular conditions:

Physiotherapy can also assist with vestibular neuritis, vestibular labyrinthitis and meniere’s disease through Vestibular and Balance Rehabilitation Therapy.