Balance Restored: PT for Vertigo and BPPV

If you’ve ever stood up and felt like the room was spinning—or if quick head movements make you dizzy or unsteady—your vestibular system may be to blame. These symptoms can affect everything from your ability to drive, work, or even just walk across the room without holding onto furniture.

The good news? Physical therapy offers safe, proven treatments that can dramatically reduce dizziness, improve balance, and help you feel stable again. At Kinetik Performance and Rehab, our vestibular-trained physical therapists work one-on-one to help retrain your brain and body to regain control.

🧠 What Is the Vestibular System?

The vestibular system is a complex network in your inner ear and brain that controls your sense of balance, spatial awareness, and coordination between your eyes and head. When it’s not working properly, you might experience:

• Vertigo (the spinning sensation)

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Difficulty walking in a straight line

• Nausea

• Trouble focusing your eyes when moving

  
  

Common causes of vestibular dysfunction include:

• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

• Vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis

• Post-concussion syndrome

• Meniere’s disease

• Age-related balance decline

  
  

🎯 Special Focus: What Is BPPV?

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common vestibular disorders—and also one of the most treatable. Inside your inner ear are tiny crystals called otoconia that help you detect movement and gravity. In BPPV, these crystals become dislodged and migrate into one of the semicircular canals, where they interfere with your brain's ability to interpret motion, especially during changes in head position.

Common triggers include:

• Lying down or rolling over in bed

• Looking up or down quickly

• Bending over

• Sudden head movements

  
  

🤕 What Does BPPV Feel Like?

People with BPPV often describe:

• Sudden, intense spinning sensations

• Brief episodes of dizziness (usually under a minute)

• Loss of balance or nausea

• Symptoms triggered by specific head movements

  
  

🛠️ How Physical Therapy Treats BPPV

At Kinetik Performance and Rehab, we specialize in non-invasive, manual techniques to restore normal inner ear function. For BPPV, that often includes:

✅ Canalith Repositioning Maneuvers

The most effective treatment is a series of head and body movements (like the Epley maneuver) designed to guide the displaced crystals back into their proper chamber where they can no longer cause symptoms.

• Most patients feel dramatic relief in 1–2 sessions

• No medications or surgery needed

• Tailored to your specific canal involvement (posterior, horizontal, etc.)

  
  

✅ Follow-Up Balance & Gaze Exercises

Once symptoms resolve, we provide exercises to:

• Improve postural stability

• Reduce sensitivity to head movements

• Prevent recurrence or falls

  
  

🏃‍♀️ Other Vestibular Therapy Approaches We Use

Even if your dizziness isn’t caused by BPPV, we offer a range of therapies to help:

• Balance and gait training for unsteadiness

• Gaze stabilization drills to retrain visual focus

• Vestibular habituation exercises to reduce sensitivity to motion

• Fall risk prevention programs for older adults

  
  

🌀 Get Your Life Back in Balance

Living with dizziness or balance issues can be frustrating—but it doesn’t have to be permanent. Whether you're dealing with BPPV or another vestibular condition, physical therapy offers safe, effective, and lasting relief.

📞 Call Kinetik Performance and Rehab today or 📅 book your vestibular assessment online and take the first step toward feeling steady, confident, and in control again.