Vestibular physiotherapy is a specialist area of physiotherapy which deals with the system that controls balance and dizziness and when this goes wrong symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, headaches, fatigue and imbalance can occur. Vestibular physiotherapy aims to identify the problem and rehabilitate the system to stop this happening.
Whether dizziness and balance are of a sudden onset or have been a problem for some time, evidence has shown that vestibular rehabilitation can be effective in improving symptoms related to many vestibular (inner ear/balance) disorders.
Symptoms due to vestibular disorders can diminish quality of life and impact all aspects of daily living. They may also contribute to emotional problems such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, a consequence of having a vestibular disorder can be that symptoms frequently cause people to adopt a sedentary lifestyle in order to avoid bringing on, or worsening, dizziness and imbalance. As a result, decreased muscle strength and flexibility, increased joint stiffness, and reduced stamina can occur.
Physiotherapists are ideally placed to provide early screening and intervention to minimise the impact on daily life of balance and dizziness disorders.
Commonly treated conditions are:
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- Vestibular Neuritis/Labyrinthitis
- Visual vertigo
- Migrainous vertigo/Vestibular migraine
- Menières disease
- Post operative rehabilitation following removal of acoustic neuroma
Please contact us if you want to discuss a specific problem or treatment in more detail or want more information.

