A Message from Joel J. Digris, Leading Vestibular Physical Therapist About Dealing With Vertigo or Dizziness:
Many of our clients come to us, having been prescribed medications that were ineffective in treating their vertigo or dizziness and also caused unwanted side effects. They often have undergone multiple scans and tests which result in no clear answers leaving them frustrated at being no closer to a resolution of their symptoms.
Worse yet, many medical tests come back as “normal” leading family and friends to suspect and hint to them that they are just “crazy.” Most heartbreaking to us, is when people begin to believe it themselves.
For those experiencing vertigo (the room spinning) or who have been experiencing a sense of dizziness or lightheadedness that is hard to describe, it can be hard to find a consistent, reliable, and permanent specialist who has the experience to recognize and treat this problem.
At Achieva Rehabilitation, we provide that consistency and dependability. And because these symptoms and the reasons for them are so specific to the individual, we have the experience to understand every little difference. Because with Achieva Rehabilitation, we treat you the person, not just the diagnosis.
If this is happening to you and you feel like things are not improving, you're not alone - we hear this type of thing all the time.
In fact helping people understand and treat vertigo or dizziness and regain independence is a big part of our In-Home Physical Therapy Program at Achieva Rehabilitation.
“Why Am I Feeling Dizzy...This is Scary?”
Or
“Why Is My Vertigo Not Going Away?
Nothing I’ve Tried Has Worked.”
Problem...Most People Including Healthcare Workers Don't Understand The Vestibular System...The System That Is Usually the Culprit!
The greatest challenge with dizziness and vertigo is its obscurity in our healthcare system. Part of this obscurity problem is the over-reliance on tests and imaging in current healthcare, which are ineffective in diagnosing vestibular disorders and other reasons for vertigo or dizziness.
A thorough patient history and clinical examination is needed to verify a vestibular disorder. This is a problem world-wide where dizziness and vertigo are addressed in healthcare with an over-prescription of medications and imaging testing that often is useless and honestly never really matters in the first place.
Referrals to the right specialists are underutilized. When patients with dizziness or vertigo are referred, they will often see many different specialists before ending up in a program like ours, which is where they should have started because this type of highly specialized therapy is the ONLY thing that works. By this point, these patients are left frustrated with many unsuccessful treatments.
Dizziness and vertigo can be very debilitating and cause major life changes, including avoiding daily life activities and even an unwillingness to leave the house. At worst, dizziness and/or vertigo can increase risk of falling, and fractures.
To make the problem more complex, sometimes symptoms of dizziness or vertigo can be signs of a potentially immediate life-threatening condition. If you've felt that severe spinning or even dizziness when in a vehicle or crowded store, the first thing you think of is that you are going through a MAJOR health problem right now...I know! My sister-in-law experienced that feeling and was scared to death.
However, more recent research shows many of these situations can be picked up by a good clinical examination without imaging or special studies. From there, life-threatening conditions can be referred out properly.
With our expertise, we have the ability to determine the need to be assessed for a real life-threatening problem, so, people with dizziness or vertigo should see a PT at Achieva Rehabilitation right away. And, you can see us in many cases without a prescription from your doctor. And, right in your home.
Many people just like you hope that dizziness or Vertigo (spinning) will disappear without doing anything like a magician’s assistant in a large black box. Six months later, not only is your dizziness still around…it’s worse after that time!”
Does That Sound Like You?
Some people have decided to do something about it so they see their family doctor who tells them to use a walker or reduce activity level because “you are getting older”, take medications for dizziness and “see how it goes”.
Unfortunately this is rarely the best advice. A lot of times, they end up going back to the doctor again because the concern hasn't changed. This time, they're told by their doctor to see a specialist whose advice is to schedule further testing.
This explains why so many people live with it longer than they should.
Has This Happened To You?
Why does dizziness or vertigo come along? It's easy to get confused because you've been told so many different things by different people. There are lots of people out there who are happy to give you advice, but not all of the things you hear are reliable.
Your dizziness or vertigo is likely coming from something that is benign and doesn’t require imaging testing that costs thousands of dollars. But, that’s what the medical community often thinks is indicated…and more time passes before a real solution is available because you are waiting to get an MRI.
The system that often causes dizziness or vertigo is very complex and the reasons for your symptoms can be very confusing. Because of that many people end up accepting that dizziness or vertigo is just part of being lucky enough to live a long life. It’s not.
Do You Feel That Way Too?
If You’re Currently Living With Dizziness or Vertigo, Here Are 7 Reasons Why It Could Be Lasting Longer Than It Should:
1. You thought it would go away on its own - but it didn’t.
2. You went to the Doctor who told you to reduce your activity and take medications like antivert or meclizine- but the pills don’t improve the cause of your dizziness and rest makes you weak.
3. A friend, or family told you that they’ve also gotten dizzy as they got older and their dizziness or vertigo hasn't gotten better, so you just accept it.
4. You tried other Healthcare Professionals, or a Physical Therapist in the past, unsuccessfully. The problem is that you have to see someone with experience who actually knows how to find the problem and has proof that they can get you better...hint...see our reviews to show you that we at Achieva Rehabilitation are the right clinicians to see.
5. You tried YouTube exercises but they either did nothing, or made you more nervous..and, nobody every explains WHY you should do certain treatments.
6. You thought it would be a good idea to reduce your activity because if you are sitting, you can’t get dizzy and fall, but all that did was make your muscles weaker.
7. You decided to stop moving in ways that usually bring on your symptoms, but, that's a huge problem that leads to many, sometimes even worse issues in the long run.
If any of these things have happened to you, we would love to help you by inviting you to schedule a Call Consultation with one of our experienced physical therapists. The fact that you tried any, (or all) of these things is actually a good thing because when you know what doesn't work, we will find the thing that does.
In The Meantime, You May Be Thinking:
“What Can I Start Doing Today To Get Closer To Getting Rid of My Dizziness or Vertigo?"
Well, here's 4 things you can do:
1. First, deciding to get help is a major step. So many people put off getting help right away. Getting ahead of the problem is important.
2. Avoid Extended Rest. Safely perform your daily activities with upper body support if needed. Try to do exercises that are safe so you can keep your body strong. Things like standing up and sitting down as many times as you can from a safe chair with arms. Do this several times per day.
3. Get real Physical Therapy - Specialized Physical Therapy is proven to help people with balance problems and dizziness / vertigo. In fact, it’s a very common problem that we treat with our In-Home Physical Therapy Program at Achieva Rehabilitation.
If dizziness or vertigo threatens your mobility and independence or gets in the way of spending quality time with family and friends – expert PT will help.
4. Next, do the RIGHT exercises - one of the best things to help you get rid of dizziness or vertigo is to do the right series of exercises - specifically created for you personally by an experienced Physical Therapist to help get rid of the vertigo or dizziness and make sure you get back to doing the things you love to do!
If you are not ready to talk with someone, download our free vertigo guide to learn more..written by owner of Achieva Rehabilitation, Joel Digris.
So the next question is:
“How Can Choosing to See a Physical Therapist at Achieva Rehab Help You Ease Your Vertigo or Dizziness -
In The Next Few Days?”
Here’s just a few of the things our Physical Therapy Team can do for you:
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We can let you know what the true cause of your dizziness or vertigo is and why it is happening, so you can have peace of mind starting with the FIRST SESSION
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We will tailor-make your program around you, your ambitions, your wants, what you truly want to get back to doing. We can help take away the nervousness and concern.
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We can help you improve your symptoms each step of the way. That is why this is a journey, not a quick fix. Improving dizziness is a step-by-step process that requires consistency and monitoring. There are types of vertigo that can be helped quite quickly but most dizziness take a little time.
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We will help you understand your problem and we will provide you with the right advice and proper exercises that will speed up your recovery.
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We can help you get back to enjoying quality time with family and friends that Fear of dizziness or vertigo has stolen from you.
Basically, we can help you get back to living life,
free from fear of Vertigo or Dizziness.
