Dizziness
Dizziness is a word we hear regularly in our practice. Several things can be associated with dizziness that we will discuss in this blog. Ask yourself to describe your dizziness without using the word dizzy.
1. Light-headed: Most people feel light-headed when they go from a lying position to a more upright position. This "dizzy" feeling usually lasts for a few seconds or a few minutes before it begins to settle. This can also occur when you have been standing for long periods. So what is going on? This occurs when your blood pressure drops when changing positions. For some, this change may only be small, but for others, it's a drastic drop. Many people who have this type of dizziness are on blood pressure medications, dehydrated, have reduced previous activity levels, or are having lower than normal blood pressure.
2. Room Spinning: This is a description we hear often. It is that feeling that the room is spinning around you and is typically accompanied by a sick feeling. Usually, this lasts for up to 30 seconds and occurs with head movements like getting into/out of bed or looking up/down. This can come on suddenly and usually does not stop easily without seeking help. How could this be? In your ears are tiny canals called semicircular canals. You also have something even smaller called crystals in these canals. These small crystals can become free-floating. Now while there are no exact causes for how these crystals become free-floating, there are three theories- head injury, diabetes, and elevated blood pressure. Being a diabetic and having high blood pressure decreases the amount of blood flow to your smaller vessels in the inner ear leading to those crystals becoming loose and free-floating. When this occurs, you have what many refer to as "inner ear" or vertigo. This will not typically be helped with medication as the crystals are still floating in the canal. The best way to fix the issue is to get the crystals out. How? There are positions a trained balance expert will take you through to free you of those little crystals. The good news is this usually only takes 1-2 sessions.
3. Neck pain/headache-based: Yes, dizziness can come from the spine! Specifically, the upper three vertebrae in the spine. This type of dizziness is always associated with either neck pain and/or headaches. Many also report the sensation of being "swimmy-headed". How does this happen? This is when the upper part of the cervical spine does not move or function as it should. It could be due to pain, inflammation, stiffness, muscle tightness, or even bad posture/sleeping positions. The good news, we have great success at treating this!
4. Anxiety-related: This is a big one for those who have had previous falls, use walkers/canes, are fearful of walking, and are weaker overall. How do we help this? We set small goals in balance and strength during rehab to build lasting confidence. This rehab can be a little slower than other areas in the rehab time frame due to overcoming the stress and fear of walking as well as building strength. The good news is that achieving small goals leads to achieving big goals. Balance therapy is life-changing for this group!
5. Motion sickness: This type of feeling is often described by those who must sit in the front seat while riding in a car, have trouble riding on a boat, are troubled when making quick turns, or even for those that have trouble in busy environments. This is due to your brain feeling a mismatch in your systems of balance. Some feel unsteady when this happens while others become nauseous. This typically only lasts while you are in that setting or environment although the nausea can sometimes last longer. Many tend to want to hold on to something when they get this type of dizziness. A key piece to this type of dizziness is associated with vision and vestibular rehab.
6. Unsteadiness: This type of "dizziness" is typically for those who are not as active as they previously were. It can be for the people who step out of bed first thing in the morning and must grab onto something until they get going. Many will say they get out of bed wobbly and sometimes tilt backward. You may have trouble walking on uneven or changing surfaces and may feel the need to grab onto furniture, a rail, or even a person when the surface changes. Many also have trouble getting into/out of a chair without the support of their arms. Balance therapy is wonderful in the treatment for this type of dizziness. Our balance expert will challenge different systems and strategies in your body to change them to keep you STEADY!