An Intro to Dizziness and What PTs can do.
Everyone has gotten dizzy before, and dizziness can be one of the hardest things to pin down. Is it because we’re dehydrated, we haven’t eaten, is it from a headache, or getting up too quickly. Dizziness caused by the above can be modified and improved fairly easily, but what if it persists? That’s when PT can step in.
Not all symptoms are the same, and people can experience them differently. Dizziness can manifest as feelings of unsteadiness, wooziness/light-headedness, floating or tilting, trouble focusing, objects going blurry, or a sensation of the room spinning (defined as vertigo).
What can cause dizziness? As mentioned before dizziness can result from multiple issues. It can be the side effect of medication, low blood pressure, dehydration, result of a migraine, concussion, or neck pain. It can be the result of an inner ear disorder or a more serious problem such as a brain or a heart problem.
What if you have these symptoms? First, see your primary physician or an ENT to make sure it’s not due to a more serious problem. Or visit a vestibular trained physical therapist. Vestibular trained PTs will be able to identify and treat most causes of dizziness including neck pain, concussion, trouble focusing, imbalance, and inner ear issues causing vertigo. Vestibular rehabilitation with a PT is an exercise-based program to treat the above symptoms and return you to all the activities that your dizziness was preventing you from doing.
If your symptoms are affecting your day-to-day, then it is time to get it to check out with your physician or trusted PT. So if your head is spinning hopefully it will be caused by your family member/work/significant other and not by a medical issue.