Calgary’s Vertigo and Dizziness Physiotherapy Experts
Dizziness and vertigo can be very frightening. Your world spins, you’re off balance and you’re hyper-sensitive to movement or noise. If vertigo or dizziness becomes chronic, it can start to impact your ability to work or participate in activities, and if it goes on too long, many people begin to suffer from anxiety and depression.
Vertigo and dizziness are often as a result of a condition in your inner ear, known as your vestibular system. Vertigo can be caused by jaw injuries, neck or head trauma, infection, inflammation and certain diseases.
Our compassionate Calgary vestibular physiotherapists at our conveniently located clinics know how difficult vertigo and dizziness can be. They are passionate about helping their clients regain their lives. Our Calgary vertigo professionals work out of our north clinic in Country Hills, as well as our Oakridge and Walden clinics in the SW, Seton and Mckenzie Towne clinics in the SE, and Marlborough Mall in east Calgary.
Our physiotherapists are highly skilled in vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT), also known as balance retraining therapy, a set of exercises that encourage the brain to make up for balance deficits. Vertigo is often accompanied by headaches and migraines, and our physiotherapists will include options to manage these as part of your treatment.
Our physiotherapists know that it is important to take the time to fully understand and diagnose your issue. Once the root cause is identified, they can create an individualized rehabilitation plan that meet your particular issue(s).
How Can Our Calgary Vestibular Therapists Help?
It can be quite difficult to identify the exact cause of vertigo, but some common conditions and symptoms include:
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
Labarynthitis or vestibular neuritis (ear infection)
Motion sensitivity
Post-concussion symptoms
Cervicogenic dizziness (neck problems)
Headaches and migraines
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)
If you are suffering from vertigo or dizziness, you may also be experiencing ear pressure or ringing, nausea, vomiting, double vision and an extreme sensitivity to light, sound or smells.
Our vestibular physiotherapists will start by breaking down the detailed history of your problem in order to diagnose the cause. They will ask questions like: When did the first episode happen? What are your symptoms? Is there a pattern of frequency or certain triggers? What makes it feel better? The more detail you can provide the better!
After recording your history, your physiotherapist will perform a physical examination, which could include assessing your balance, gait and posture. They may also do tests on your eyes or ask you to put on special goggles to assess whether irregular eye movement is present.
After completing the assessment, your physiotherapist may recommend a vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) plan. The aim of VRT exercises is to encourage your body to make up for any balance deficits or dizziness symptoms that are present due to inner ear or central nervous system disease or abnormality. Sometimes, a gait assessment and retraining might be required. In other cases, they may include VRT as part of a great concussion management plan. While VRT often helps improve the symptoms and help improve quality of life, the effectiveness of the therapy depends on the cause and severity of the issue.
Whatever the cause of your vertigo and dizziness, our Panther Sports Medicine Calgary physiotherapists can help you manage the symptoms and get back on track!
10 Convenient Locations in Calgary. All Physiotherapy clinics have morning and evening appointments available to meet the demands of your busy schedule. Saturday appointments are available at select locations.
Panther Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Centres are a network of ten clinics, physiotherapist operated, serving Calgary and surrounding areas. Our team offers a wide range of services including physiotherapy, massage therapy, and sports injury rehabilitation to help our clients reduce pain and recover from injuries. Panther Sports Medicine has been proudly serving our community for over 30 years.
