Consider this: when you keep your balance, several systems come into play, including your brain, eyes, ears, and feet. If something goes wrong with any of those systems, you need to align them again.
Enter vestibular and neurological rehabilitation, a specialized area of physical therapy that can help people who suffer from:
- Dizziness
- Balance disorders
- Concussion
- Walking and balance difficulty
Let’s take a look at each of these in detail:
Neurological/Balance Rehabilitation
Neurological and balance rehabilitation can help those who have difficulty with balance, weakness or walking.
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Post CVA (Stroke)
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Balance deficits
- History of falls
- General weakness
- Other neurological disorders
Neurological rehabilitation treatment techniques include:
- Assessment focusing on gait, balance and strength
- Gait training to achieve optimal levels of mobility
- Customized strength training exercises to address deficits
- Balance re-Education to prevent falls
Vestibular (Dizziness) Rehab
The vestibular system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain that process the sensory information involved with controlling balance and eye movements. If disease or injury damages these processing areas, vestibular disorders can result and you can experience acute onset dizziness or vertigo.
Vestibular rehabilitation can treat things like:
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- Labyrinthitis
- Neuronitis
- Central Vestibular Dysfunction
- Multifactorial Disequilibrium
- Meniere’s Disease
- Pre & post surgical patients for Acoustic Neuroma
- Motion sensitivity
- Cervicogenic dizziness
- Migraine related dizziness
- Unilateral Vestibular Hypofunction (UVH)
- Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction (BVH)
Vestibular (Dizziness) rehabilitation treatment techniques include:
- Customized evaluation to determine optimal vestibular rehabilitation treatment plan
- Specific Canalith “Crystals” Repositioning techniques
- Directed VOR adaptation and habituation exercises
- Motion sensitivity exercises (to allow for return to work or sport)
Concussion Management
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. Concussions can also occur from a fall or a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth.
Concussion management is an area of vestibular rehabilitation that has received additional attention lately due to the increased diagnoses of concussions in the last few years.
Physical therapists can help treat:
- Post-Concussion Syndrome
- Oculomotor Dysfunctions
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- Exertional deficits that prevent/limit return to work or sports
- Whiplash and Cervical ROM Limitations
Concussion rehabilitation treatment techniques include:
- Comprehensive evaluation to determine post-injury baseline status
- Examination of cognition, balance, muscle strength and oculomotor function
- Testing and specific treatment for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- Guided, individualized exercise progression targeting Post- Concussion deficits
- Manual Therapy for Musculoskeletal Limitations
How ARC Physical Therapy+ Can Help
If you suffer from any of these conditions, you can receive one on one, individualized evaluation and treatment from a licensed doctor of physical therapy. ARC Physical Therapy+ helps people regain normal function through an exercise-based approach by introducing the body to progressive stressors including cardiovascular, strength, balance, and oculomotor challenges, in order to help you return to your sport, work activities, or daily routine.
Specifically, the ARC Physical Therapy+ Lenexa clinic focuses on Vestibular Rehabilitation, Neurological/Balance Rehabilitation and Concussion Management, as well as offering traditional physical therapy.
Contact them at 913-276-3333 to learn more.
