Let’s Discuss Dizziness….
Vertigo and dizziness are common problems many of us deal with at some point in our life. Classically, dizziness is treated by a combination of vestibular rehabilitation and symptomatic medication. Vestibular rehabilitation is a specific form of rehabilitation designed to treat the inability to tolerate various forms of motion or problems with balance. This type of rehabilitation is designed to help people return to their daily life in a faster and more complete manner.
New Technologies for Treatment
A new and exciting tool our clinicians have incorporated in our care is virtual reality. Virtual reality has been shown to be beneficial in research with many conditions including dizziness and post-concussion syndrome. Skills acquired through training in a virtual environment have been shown to transfer to real world applications. This makes using virtual reality in rehabilitation a very exciting new therapy because we can now program specific virtual environments that would only enhance the type of skill or rehabilitation goal we want to achieve.
Is it Safe?
Virtual reality devices should typically not be done on their own, but integrated into a full rehabilitation management program. Virtual reality has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for many patients suffering from post-concussive syndrome, dizziness, and balance/gait disorders. By combining virtual reality training with specific vestibular rehabilitation exercises, eye exercises, cognitive exercises, manual therapy, and neurofeedback our clinicians are able to provide our patients with the most current treatments on the market.
For more information on the type of conditions, our clinicians help with, schedule a consult with one of our patient care coordinators.
Bergeron et al. Use of virtual reality tools for vestibular disorders rehabilitation. Advances in Medicine. 2015.
