Dizziness can be more serious than the occasional light-headed feeling you get when standing up too quickly. For certain people, episodes of recurring dizziness may affect their daily lives, making it difficult to concentrate at work, watch television, browse the internet, use their phones, read books, or even go outside. It also puts them at a much higher risk of falling and sustaining serious injuries.
To cure a sudden, chronic loss of balance, we have to get to the root cause. Dizziness is very often the symptom of other problems in the inner ear, neck pain, or other more serious underlying conditions. Physiotherapists in Singapore are able to diagnose some of these issues and provide the necessary treatment to help.
What Is Balance?
To understand why dizziness occurs, it’s important to understand how balance works. We often take it for granted that our body naturally balances itself, but it’s an intricate process that requires different systems to work together in tandem. Most importantly our vestibular system, which consists mostly of the inner ear and interconnected structures.
Dizziness that is rooted in issues with the vestibular system can be treated via a special form of therapy known as vestibular physiotherapy. However, if your vestibular system is working fine, then your dizziness may be caused by neurological issues and your therapist should recommend you to a specialist.
Vestibular Disorders
The most prevalent inner ear disorder leading to dizziness is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) which is a condition that causes people to experience a spinning sensation. It occurs when calcium carbonate crystals in the ear move into the vestibular system. Usually triggered by changes in position, it affects women more than men, and is more likely to present in older people.
Physical Therapists in Singapore can help treat BPPV in a number of ways. Once diagnosed, they may use a form of therapy known as vestibular rehabilitation therapy which can help patients anticipate various triggers of vertigo and react better to minimise its effects. Certain procedures also help move the calcium carbonate crystals out of the inner ear to eliminate vertigo due to BPPV.
There are also exercises that can be done at home to help patients recover in their own time. The efficacy of these treatments very much rely on the correct diagnosis by the physiotherapist.
Central Vertigo
If your physiotherapist has ruled out other causes of vertigo or dizziness, there could be a more serious underlying condition at the root of your symptoms. They range from lesions in the brain stem to multiple sclerosis or migraines. These require more sophisticated tests to be conducted to get the correct diagnosis before treatment can be prescribed.
Cervicogenic Dizziness
If you’re recovering from a recent neck injury and experience dizziness, the two could be linked. Cervicogenic dizziness is defined as dizziness associated with neck pain or injury, and can also be treated via physiotherapy. The priority is to reduce neck pain and stiffness through joint mobilisation and massage. Dizziness should decrease as neck pain improves.
Although dizziness might simply feel like a symptom of getting older, it could indicate something more serious. A trained physical therapist is able to accurately identify issues with your vestibular system and recommend the right treatment.
In many cases, vestibular physiotherapy serves as a powerful tool to help patients with dizziness and vertigo recover quickly and painlessly. It also helps to diagnose patients who might have other conditions and ensures they get the right treatment in time.
Experiencing dizziness or other issues with your muscles, joints, or ligaments? Our highly experienced and qualified sport physiotherapy clinic in Singapore might be able to help you with your recovery. Simply contact us with your enquiries and let us know what issues you are facing. We will get back to you to set up an appointment.