Vertigo & Dizziness
Personalized care for balance problems, spinning sensations, and the confidence to move freely again.
What Is a Balance Disorder?
Primus Physiotherapy helps patients in Edmonton and Drumheller understand the cause of their symptoms and build a clear, individualized plan for recovery.
A balance disorder can make you feel unsteady or dizzy. Whether you are standing, sitting, lying down, or walking, you may feel as if you are moving, spinning, floating, tipping over, or about to fall.
“Dizziness” can mean different things to different people. It may be a brief feeling of faintness or an intense spinning sensation called vertigo. Balance disorders can affect daily activities and may cause emotional hardship, fatigue, fear, anxiety, or depression.
Common Symptoms
- Dizziness or vertigo (a spinning sensation)
- Falling or feeling as if you are going to fall
- Lightheadedness, faintness, or a floating sensation
- Blurred vision, confusion, or disorientation
- Nausea or vomiting
- Changes in heart rate or blood pressure
Symptoms may come and go over short periods or last for a long time.
Why Do Balance Problems Happen?
Balance problems can have many causes. Medications, ear infections, head injuries, low blood pressure, and conditions affecting the inner ear or brain can all contribute. Arthritis, eye muscle imbalance, neuropathy, and age-related changes may also affect balance.
Many balance disorders begin suddenly and without an obvious cause. A medical assessment can help identify whether another health condition or medication is contributing to your symptoms.
Common Diagnoses We Work With
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- Labyrinthitis and vestibular neuronitis
- Ménière’s disease
- Central nervous system disorders
- Neuropathy and nerve injuries
- Age-related balance dysfunction
- Oculomotor (visual) dysfunction
- Muscle atrophy
How Physical Therapy Can Help
Treatment for dizziness and balance disorders can be complex, but Primus Physiotherapy has helped many community members cope with and recover from conditions that affect balance. Each patient receives a personalized evaluation and individualized treatment plan.
As movement, muscle, joint, and nervous system specialists, our physical therapists can prescribe and implement treatment that may include:
Movement & Balance Training
Coordination, proprioception, strengthening, stretching, range-of-motion, and posture exercises can help improve strength, control, and confidence with daily movement.
Fall-Risk & Confidence Support
Your therapist can assess footwear and household hazards such as loose rugs, poor lighting, pets, and obstacles. Addressing specific findings helps reduce fall risk and fear of falling.
Positional Vertigo: A Common Cause of Dizziness
For people with BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), Primus vestibular therapy experts can perform a series of simple movements, such as the Epley maneuver. These movements can help dislodge otoconia (calcium crystals) from the semicircular canal of the ear. In many cases, one session works; other people need the procedure several times to relieve dizziness.
Education is Therapy
Understanding your diagnosis, the cause of the problem, and how to manage it is an important part of balance-disorder care. We emphasize patient education and coordination of care with your referring physician. Working together helps address your balance disorder, decrease fear of falling, and reduce fall risks.
When Should You Seek Help?
Talk with your doctor and a physical therapist if you feel unsteady; feel that the room is spinning; feel like you are moving while sitting or standing still; lose your balance or fall; feel lightheaded; have blurred vision; or become disoriented.
We Can Help You Cope With Your Condition
Our physical therapists can help increase strength and coordination to lower the risk of falling and injury during daily activities. Let us create a personalized plan to help you get back to enjoying a higher quality of life.