Understanding this injury
Vestibular Disorders are conditions that affect the inner ear and the brain's ability to process balance and spatial orientation. They can show up as dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, motion sensitivity, blurred vision with head movement, or a foggy, disconnected feeling that makes ordinary life — driving, shopping, walking outside — surprisingly hard.
Common vestibular conditions include BPPV, vestibular neuritis, labyrinthitis, Meniere's disease, vestibular migraine, persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD), and post-concussion vestibular dysfunction. While they have different causes, most respond beautifully to a specialty within physical therapy called vestibular rehabilitation — a structured program that retrains your balance system, calms motion sensitivity, and rebuilds confidence in moving through the world.
Common symptoms
- Persistent dizziness or vertigo
- Difficulty with balance and walking
- Visual disturbances with head movement
- Nausea and motion sensitivity
What causes it
- Viral inflammation of the inner ear (vestibular neuritis, labyrinthitis)
- BPPV (displaced inner-ear crystals)
- Concussion or head trauma
- Vestibular migraine
- Meniere's disease and other progressive inner-ear conditions
Who's most at risk
- Adults over 40
- Anyone after a concussion or head injury
- People with a history of migraine
- Post-viral or post-COVID patients
- Older adults at increased fall risk
How we treat it
Your PT will start with a comprehensive vestibular exam: eye movement testing, balance testing, gait analysis, positional testing, and a careful symptom history. This tells us exactly which system (inner ear, central nervous system, vision, somatosensory) is contributing to your symptoms. From there we build a customized program drawing from the major tools of vestibular rehab: gaze stabilization exercises (to fix blurry vision with head movement), habituation exercises (to desensitize the system to triggering motions), balance training (progressively challenging your stability), and canalith repositioning if BPPV is involved.
We progress carefully — vestibular symptoms can flare if you push too fast, but they also won't improve without consistent challenge. We coach you on returning to driving, work, screens, exercise, and social situations, and coordinate with your ENT or neurologist when needed. Many patients who've been told 'just live with it' get dramatically better with the right vestibular rehab plan.
If your symptoms aren't improving in 2-3 weeks, are getting worse, or starting to limit daily activities, call us or schedule an appointment online today — early intervention almost always means a faster, fuller recovery.
Recovery timeline
Most patients see meaningful improvement in 4-8 weeks. Acute conditions (vestibular neuritis, BPPV) often resolve faster. Chronic conditions (PPPD, vestibular migraine) typically take 8-16 weeks. Steady, consistent practice is everything.
What you can do at home today
- Do your vestibular exercises 2-3 times daily — short sessions, often
- Don't avoid motion entirely — gentle exposure is part of the cure
- Sleep with your head slightly elevated if positional symptoms are an issue
- Reduce caffeine, alcohol, and screen time during acute flares
- Stay hydrated and watch sleep — both heavily influence vestibular symptoms
These tips support recovery but don't replace a professional evaluation. If you're unsure or symptoms worsen, please reach out.
When to call us right away
Go to the ER for dizziness with sudden severe headache, vision loss, slurred speech, facial drooping, weakness or numbness on one side, chest pain, or fainting — these can be stroke symptoms and need immediate evaluation.