Improving balance and mitigating challenges related to vertigo and dizziness through tailored physical therapies.
Individualized therapies, compassionate care
Physical therapists certified in vestibular rehabilitation at Sheltering Arms Institute provide comprehensive vestibular screenings, therapeutic care plans, exercise training, and support to help individuals manage vertigo and related dizziness.
Accessible, convenient care
Delivered primarily in the outpatient setting, vestibular therapy at Sheltering Arms Institute often starts with an evaluation of the patient specifically related to inner ear function, balance, strength, and gait.
Individualized care plans focused on balance restoration, sensory integration, and retraining of the vestibular system are delivered in outpatient clinics conveniently located throughout Richmond and Central Virginia.
Understanding underlying causes
Medication, infection, inner ear problems, debris in ear canals, and brain injuries are common causes of vestibular disorders, which can present in a variety of ways.
At Sheltering Arms Institute, we’re fortunate to have video goggle technology, which is essential to detect even subtle vertigo during maneuvers to reset the inner-ear crystals. It's very rewarding when, typically, after only two or three visits, patients can go back to doing the things that they have not done for months or even years because their symptoms have decreased or resolved completely.
Reducing symptoms, improving function
Our vestibular experts apply a variety of exercises and techniques while employing the latest technologies to assess and treat vestibular disorders through one-on-one sessions with each patient.
Compensation techniques teach the brain to use and strengthen other senses to substitute for vestibular system deficiencies.
Adaptation exercises induce input into the vestibular system and increase its ability to make changes in response to input.
Habituation exercises treat symptoms from self-motion and visual stimuli, teaching the brain to ignore abnormal or overactive signals.
Video goggle technology is essential to detect even subtle vertigo during maneuvers to reset the inner-ear crystals.
Research has proven virtual reality as an effective treatment tool, showing increased patient satisfaction in peripheral vestibular dysfunction, reduced activity and participation limitations, and positive outcomes in treating vestibular and balance impairments post-concussion. It also improves dizziness, disability, balance, and mobility in elderly individuals with chronic dizziness.
The Bioness Integrated Therapy System (BITS) allows training in vision, balance, and motor systems.
Every time I would get up, the whole room would be spinning. I came to Sheltering Arms Institute and, now, I’ve really improved and have not been dizzy. I’m getting back to normal and I can’t tell you how happy I am.
Contributing to optimal patient outcomes
Inpatient vestibular therapy supports a wide range of traumas and conditions requiring extended, 24/7 care, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, and amputation.
At Sheltering Arms Institute, our vestibular certified physical therapists are a part of a transdisciplinary team, contributing to optimal patient rehabilitation and recovery.
Understanding vestibular therapy
The vestibular system is a sensory system in the inner ear that is responsible for providing the brain with information about motion, head position, and spatial orientation. It helps individuals maintain balance, stabilize the head and body during movement, and maintain posture.
A vestibular disorder is a disturbance in the body’s balance system. When a disease or injury damages the vestibular system, you can develop a vestibular disorder. Vestibular disorders can occur at any age, but are most common with increased age. Some common causes of vestibular disorders are medication, infection, inner-ear problems, debris in ear canals, and brain injuries.
Common vestibular disorders include:
As defined by the Vestibular Disorders Association, vestibular physical therapy is a specialized form of rehabilitation intended to alleviate problems caused by vestibular disorders, primarily vertigo and dizziness, gaze instability, and/or imbalance and falls. A customized exercise plan is developed from the findings of a clinical assessment, laboratory testing, and imaging studies as well as input from patients.
Sheltering Arms Institute’s Bon Air, Chester, Hanover, Hull Street, Laburnum, and Reynolds outpatient locations offer vestibular therapy.
Meclizine is an oral prescription prescribed by a doctor used to treat vertigo. It is an antihistamine that blocks chemicals in the brain that control balance, nausea, and vomiting. It is important to take this medication as your doctor prescribes since Meclizine is effective in dampening the symptoms of vertigo, but it does not treat the underlying problem. Therefore, you can still have an unidentified balance impairment even if you feel better, which may increase risk of falling.
It is important to seek vestibular therapy from a skilled professional to identify and address the root cause and reduce vertigo symptoms for the long term.
Start your Journey
Contact a specialist at Sheltering Arms Institute to learn more about how you can gain more freedom in your everyday life.
