What is the vestibular system?
The vestibular system is part of the inner ear and the brain that is involved in processing
information to control both balance and eye movement.
The main symptoms of a vestibular condition are vertigo (room spinning sensation),
dizziness or balance disturbances. Other symptoms can include headaches, fatigue, poor
sleep, anxiety etc. These symptoms can have a profound effect on the lives of those that
experience them.
There is a wide variety of conditions that are linked to dizziness and balance.

What conditions we treat?
 Dizziness
 Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
 Vestibular Neuritis/Labyrinthis
 Vestibular Migrane
 Meniere’s Disease (vestibular deficits associated with condition)
 Balance deficits/imbalance/falls
 Post concussion/mild traumatic brain injury
 CVA/Stroke/Neurological

What is vestibular rehabilitation?
Vestibular rehabilitation is a specialised area of physiotherapy. The main goal of treatment
involves retraining the vestibular system and the brain to distinguish and process
information correctly regarding movement and spatial orientation relying on information
received from the vision and proprioception systems. This can be achieved through a
combination of treatment ranging from specific exercises and/or in some cases, specific
manoeuvres that help improve your symptoms.

What does the assessment and treatment involve?
The initial assessment will last an hour. The physiotherapist will take a detailed of your
medical history and condition that you are experiencing and will then use a series of clinical
tests assessing your vestibular function including your eye movements and balance. These
takes may include;
Recording eye movements with head movement, measuring ability to keep your eyes
focused while your head is moving, measuring your static and dynamic balance with eyes
open and closed, positional testing laying on your back and while turning. These tests are
performed using specilised video goggles which allows us to assess for nystagmus which is
an essential sign of vestibular dysfunction.
This information will be used to diagnose the cause and/or contributing factors and will help
us to develop an individual treatment plan for each patient.

Treatment will start immediately at the initial appointment and the type of treatment will
depend on your diagnosis. The success rate depends on the diagnosis but 80% of patients
can be treated in three or fewer appointments.
Occasionally the tests carried out during the appointment may cause a brief increase in
symptoms and it is common that the rehabilitation may cause increases in symptoms as the
brain and body adjust to the demands placed on it and with adaptation your symptoms
should improve.

How to prepare for the appointment?
You will need to see your GP before an initial appointment if it is your first episode of
vertigo and/or dizziness or if your symptoms are severe or lasting more than 2-3 days. They
will assist in getting a diagnosis and/or prescribing certain medications that may help
depending on the cause.
You should see a doctor immediately or seek medical assistance if you are experiencing
vertigo in combination with double vision, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, drop
attacks/fainting episodes, nausea, vomiting, headache and/or sensory changes. These
symptoms can be a sign of a more serious condition.
Bring any relevant referral letters and a list of medications that you are currently taking.
You will need to be accompanied by somebody to drive you home after the appointment.
Unfortunately, you will not be assessed or treated if you are on your own.

How do I book an appointment?
You can either book online or call us to organise an appointment with Jake Wall, our
vestibular physiotherapist.
The initial appointment will take an hour and all follow up appointment will be 40 minutes.
Please make sure you specify that the appointment type is for vestibular physiotherapy so
that the correct appointment and physiotherapist is booked. You can do this by phone or
using our online booking platform.