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Vertigo
When you feel like the world is revolving around you: there is a sense of spinning even while you’re standing or sitting still.
Dizziness
Here you may feel a sense of giddiness when you move your head, often accompanied by lightheadedness.
Disequilibrium
Feeling a sensation of unsteadiness or imbalance that is worsened by movement or environmental influences.
There are several causes of vertigo, dizziness or balance disorders. The exact cause of your specific condition can only be determined as part of an extensive evaluation. Although vertigo and dizziness are generally caused by the ear, nerves or central disorder. Other causes include medical disorders, infections, anaemia, diabetes mellitus, psychiatric disorders or drugs.
A specialized form of therapy called vestibular rehabilitation (VR) aims to address the fundamental as well as subsequent issues caused by vestibular diseases. Using the findings of the clinical assessment, described above, it is an exercise-based program that aims to address any secondary deficits caused by the vestibular condition in addition to reducing vertigo and dizziness, gaze instability, imbalance, and fall risk. Your individual test results will allow us at Dr Tami Mehl Audiology, to develop a customised exercise program to target your individual needs and goals.
Through a fun, engaging, interactive, and joint partnership, our goal in VRT is to help guide, support, and provide you with tools, strategies, and exercises to reduce your vestibular symptoms and allow you to continue with your activities of daily living.
At Dr Tami Mehl Audiology, we achieve this goal by using a problem-oriented approach. This is accomplished with a joint union between the therapist and patient, tailoring workouts to each person's unique difficulty or problems. The duration of VR is all dependent upon the patient’s needs and the severity of the problem. Depending on the vestibular-related problem(s) identified, three evidence-based principal methods of exercise can be prescribed: 1) Habituation, 2) Gaze Stabilization, and/or 3) Balance Training.
At Dr Tami Mehl Audiology we are privileged to have access to the latest in technology at our disposal with computerized dynamic posturography and virtual reality therapy available to fully enhance your rehabilitation journey.
Habituation exercises are used to treat symptoms of dizziness that are caused by self-motion and/or produced because of visual stimuli. Patients who report feeling more lightheaded/ and or dizzy when in visually stimulating situations (e.g., grocery stores and shopping malls), when watching action movies on TV, when scrolling through their phones or computers, or when walking on shiny or patterned carpets might consider doing habituation exercises. The use of virtual reality treatment can significantly accelerate the therapeutic process.
Many individuals suffer with motion sickness and think of either living with the symptoms or masking the symptoms with medication. However, unlike medications, which must be taken prior to each trip and have adverse effects (drowsiness, etc.), desensitization carried out in virtual reality can lead to enduring benefits. Motion sensitivity is a significant area of problems where virtual reality therapy has shown positive results. Virtual reality treatment also provides a safe space for people to explore motion sickness without the worry of causing anybody else any harm.
Gaze Stabilization exercises are used to increase eye control so that clear vision is possible when moving the head. For patients who report difficulty seeing clearly, these exercises are advised because their visual environment seems to jump or bounce around as they read or try to identify items in their surroundings, especially while they are moving around. The choice of which exercise(s) to use depends on the type of vestibular disorder and extent of the disorder. Once more, the goals of the activities are established during the diagnostic assessment already mentioned.
Balance Training exercises are used to improve steadiness so that daily activities for self-care, work, and leisure can be performed successfully. The availability of computerized dynamic posturography and virtual reality training therapy at Dr Tami MehlAudiology enhances your rehabilitation process and potential.
