Are you having an acute vertigo (sensation of spinning) spell? Are you experiencing any additional symptoms such as vomiting, changes in your vision, difficulty standing up, walking, speaking, or swallowing? If yes, you may want to see a Family or Emergency Physician.

Once the worst of your vertigo spell is over and you are able to start moving your head and walking around, it is time to book a vestibular assessment. With results in hand, you will know what you can expect from the recovery process, what you can do to help you recover, and whether any other testing, investigation, or treatment should be pursued.

In the weeks following an acute episode you may still feel dizzy – lightheaded, unsteady, feeling like you are rocking or swaying. You may have been told to wait and you will feel better soon. You may notice that certain movements trigger or exacerbate your symptoms. You may feel apprehensive that the vertigo will be back if you become active again and move too much.

It is likely that your symptoms will continue to improve overtime. This is what happens in the majority of acute vertigo spells. While it is a natural reaction to reduce and even avoid movements that may provoke dizziness, this is in fact a counter-productive measure in most of the cases. First, you will reduce input on the centres of the brain reading your head movement. This will prevent the reorganization of the connections that may have been affected during your vertigo spell. Movements may then continue to provoke dizziness. In addition to that, in order to reduce movement, particularly head movements, we tend to hold neck and shoulders really tight, building considerable tension. These muscles may become sore. Unfortunately, in a few weeks, moving may become increasingly uncomfortable for two reasons: not only will you feel dizzy but also you will experience neck and shoulder pain or discomfort.

Have you been dealing with vertigo (spinning dizziness) or any other form of dizziness for more than 6 weeks? Did it start after an Acute Vertigo Spell?

It may come and go away completely, or you may have good days and bad days or it may be constantly there. You may have heard that it would go away or that you should just keep active and that it will get better…. but it hasn’t! Are you noticing that you are avoiding moving? You may be still reducing your level of activity and feeling apprehensive that if you move too much, the vertigo may come back.

While it is a natural reaction to reduce and even avoid movements that may provoke dizziness, this is in fact a counter-productive measure in most of the cases. First, you will reduce input on the centres of the brain reading your head movement. This will prevent the reorganization of the connections that may have been affected, contributing to your dizziness. Movements will then continue to provoke dizziness. In addition to that, in order to reduce movement, particularly head movements, we tend to hold neck and shoulders really tight, building considerable tension. These muscles may become sore. Unfortunately, overtime, moving may become increasingly uncomfortable for two reasons: not only will you feel dizzy but also you will experience neck and shoulder pain or discomfort.

It has been described that this cycle, when not addressed early, may expand to include avoidance of activities (professional, social, leisure), anxiety and fatigue. This expanded cycle has a greater impact on quality of life and will require more strategies to be effectively addressed.

In order to avoid getting into this cycle and start your journey to recovery, it is important to slowly but surely return to your regular level of activity and natural way of moving your body and head. However, if you have been having dizziness for more than 6 weeks and are finding it hard to find relief, book an appointment for vestibular assessment.

Have you had dizziness for months or years and have never found out why? Have you been told you have vertigo and there is nothing you can do about it? Or that you have to learn to live with it? Have you actually tried vestibular rehabilitation but the dizziness keeps coming back? It may have started with an Acute Vertigo Spell but it has never gone away.

If you have been dealing with constant or recurrent dizziness for months, you may not only have reduced your level of activity but may also have had to change your lifestyle in several ways. You may have, for instance, reduced your work hours or stopped working all together, stopped driving, avoiding going out, particularly to busy places, avoiding reading, watching movies, working on computers or changed plans for travels.

Most naturally, if this is the case, you have been dealing with feelings of frustration, doubt, sadness, anger. You may also have difficulty sleeping, a sensation that you cannot think clearly or that your brain is in a fog. You may actually have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety and prescribed medication for it. But it has not helped with the dizziness.

In this case, the cycle may involve the avoidance of movement, fear of feeling dizzy or loosing balance, avoidance of activities, neck pain and headaches, and anxiety. Breaking the cycle will most likely involve a multiple strategies.

Do you have balance problems? Do you feel unsteady, wobbly? Do you have to hold onto people or things around you to feel secure? Have you fallen or fear that you may fall?

If you have answered yes to one or more of these questions you should book a Vestibular Assessment. The vestibular system (the inner ear sensors for balance and its connections to the brain) are a major part of our balance system. It is essential to know whether the vestibular system is contributing to your sense of imbalance. You will only know what to expect from a rehabilitation program if you know what parts of your balance system can still be relied upon.

Michael is 75 years old and has lost his hearing in both ears progressively over the past 5 years. He has had dizziness only once, during one of the drops in his hearing. He uses a cane and holds onto furniture and walls for better balance. He believes his legs are just getting weaker. A vestibular assessment shows that Michael has lost vestibular function completely: his inner ear sensors for balance are not working, in both ears. Michael did not know that the inner ear also had a role in his balance. He was counselled on the importance of his vision and his proprioceptive system for balance and a Falls Prevention Program was designed for him.