Vestibular conditions

Dizzy Clinics Australia is dedicated to vestibular physiotherapy. Below is more information on the conditions we treat and what they are.

BPPV – Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

A common cause of vertigo, characterised by a short and intense sense of vertigo, induced by certain head positions
Typical symptoms: a short spinning sense when you lay down in bed, roll over in bed, or looking up/down
Treatment: commonly treated with a positional (repositioning) manoeuvre

Vestibular Neuritis/Labyrinthitis

A sudden onset of intense vertigo and loss of balance (can also occur with hearing loss). This occurs due to a viral insult to the nerve connecting to your balance centre (vestibular apparatus)
Typical symptoms: a sudden and intense sense of vertigo and loss of balance, often causing nausea and general sense of feeling unwell
Treatment: vestibular rehabilitation, which includes combinations of gaze stabilisation (eye exercises) and balance exercise

Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction

When the balance centre (vestibular apparatus) is not working as well as it should be, causing an imbalance between the left and right inner ears. This can be caused by various reasons, including a previous vestibular neuritis/labyrinthitis, a head trauma, age, and other conditions
Typical symptoms: a sense of unsteadiness, giddiness, and impaired balance. Patients often describe themselves as feeling a little ‘drunk’ or ‘tipsy’. These symptoms are usually made worse with rapid head movement, busy environments, or unstable surfaces
Treatment: vestibular rehabilitation, which includes a combination of gaze stabilisation (eye exercises) and balance exercises

Vestibular Migraines

A common condition in patients who are suffering from vertigo/dizziness and have a history or family history of migraines. This is a variant of migraines, in which vertigo, imbalance, dizziness, and nausea are the main complaint
Typical symptoms: a sense of vertigo or dizziness which lasts between 5 minutes to 72 hours, along with some migraine features such as blurred vision, visual aura and light sensitivity
Treatment: often treated with medications and can respond well to vestibular rehabilitation exercises (individual outcomes vary)

PPPD – Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness

A common cause of chronic dizziness that is not explained by damage or impairment to the vestibular system. Patients continue to experience ongoing dizziness and unsteadiness, despite their vestibular system still working well. The symptoms of PPPD may be triggered by an acute and true vestibular episode.
Typical symptoms: a sense of persistent chronic dizziness and unsteadiness which can be worsened by posture and complex visual surroundings.
Treatment: the aim is to return the vestibular system back to normal function by completing vestibular and balance rehabilitation by desensitising and retraining the balance centre, and to reduce the anxiety around the unsteadiness/dizziness. Treatment may also include psychological therapy and medications

Meniere’s Disease

A rare condition that involves the inner ear and presents as acute episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear fullness/pressure. Meniere’s disease is caused by a build-up or abnormal movement of endolymphatic fluid inside the inner ear
Treatment: a person with Meniere’s disease is encouraged to see a medical specialist to assist with the management. Vestibular rehabilitation is often used to improve the ongoing imbalance and unsteadiness associated with Meniere’s disease

Other conditions

There are many other conditions impacting balance and causing dizziness, unsteadiness, and/or vertigo. These can be vestibular or neurological. We also have a handout on Mal De Debarquement Syndrome.

What We Treat