Vestibular Rehabilitation
The vestibular system controls a person’s ability to maintain posture and coordinate balance. The vestibular organs of the inner ear provide the brain with information about changes in head movement. If the vestibular system is not functioning properly, dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, and spatial disorientation can result.
Additional signs and symptoms also include:
Vestibular and balance disorders can be the result of a head injury or a “whiplash injury.”Vestibular-system dysfunction may appear immediately following head trauma or after several days, weeks, or months. Vestibular dysfunction can also occur due to stroke, viral infections, inner ear dysfunction, high doses of certain antibiotics, allergies, or the deterioration of the visual and vestibular systems due to aging. Vestibular rehabilitation retrains the brain to recognize and process signals from the vestibular system. Treatment consists of specific head and body movements with eye exercises in order to strengthen postural muscles. These exercises also desensitize the vestibular system to movements that provoke symptoms. Some of the exercise and activities may at first increase symptoms, however with time balance improves and symptoms of dizziness, vertigo, and nausea will decrease or disappear.
References:
Vestibular Disorders Association http://www.vestibular.org/index.php
Post-Traumatic Vertigo: http://www.american-hearing.org/disorders/post/post_traumatic_vertigo.html