Dizziness Complaints

Dizziness complaints can be very limiting in daily activities and can make you feel uncertain. There are various causes or conditions that can lead to dizziness. In most cases, the balance organ (vestibular system) is affected. In the case of BPPV, where small crystals float in the organ, these can be moved by exercises (Epley maneuver), resulting in reduced dizziness. It sometimes happens that this exercise does not yield sufficient results or that dizziness complaints persist if there is a defect in the balance organ. In these cases, targeted exercise therapy can help reduce dizziness and even eliminate it entirely in the long term. Even when there is no clear cause of the dizziness complaints, the associated imbalance, for example while walking, can be improved.

The goal of this exercise therapy is to improve abnormalities in the vestibular or balance system through compensation from the central nervous system or brain. The brain interprets information obtained from the vestibular or balance system. When there is an injury or abnormality in a part of this system, the brain needs to be retrained or taught to interpret the information it receives correctly. Vestibular exercises stimulate only the vestibular apparatus. This stimulation produces information that the brain must process. The goal of repeating these exercises is for the brain to learn to tolerate and accurately interpret this type of stimulation. By repeatedly doing these exercises, one can even teach the brain to adapt to an abnormal stimulus. These exercises work in a similar way to the exercises that skaters or dancers do to prevent dizziness when spinning quickly. Simply put, one must seek out and overcome the positions or situations that cause dizziness. Avoiding them only prolongs the recovery.

Goals of the exercises for dizziness complaints:

1. Train eye movement, independent of the head.
2. Practice balancing in everyday situations with special attention to developing the use of the eyes and proprioceptive awareness.
3. Practice head movements that cause dizziness.
4. Get used to moving naturally in daylight and in the dark.
5. Generally, encourage the rebuilding of confidence by making movements easy, relaxed, and spontaneous.

Don’t keep living with your complaint—make an appointment!