Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT), also known as balance retraining therapy, is an exercise-based treatment for balance disorders. There are many possible causes for dizziness, vertigo, and balance issues, but VRT is an effective treatment for many of them. It is a non-invasive and painless solution, as it usually involves a custom exercise program to retrain your body’s balance systems.
VRT can treat dizziness and balance issues caused by:
Balance disorders can affect your body in ways you might not expect, such as causing involuntary eye movement. That’s because your eyes have a reflex that makes them move in the opposite direction of head movements, which helps you stay focused on a target.
But when your sense of balance isn’t working properly, and your body misinterprets that as movement, it causes your eyes to involuntarily move back and forth. That’s why VRT can alleviate eye issues such as eye fatigue, blurry vision, double vision, light sensitivity, and reading difficulties.
Benefits
- Solves dizziness and balance issues
- Reduces the risk of falling
- Provides relief from nausea and headaches
- Enables a more active lifestyle
- Increases stamina
- Solves eye fatigue and vision issues
Vestibular rehabilitation therapy involves a physiotherapist creating a treatment plan that can include balance training exercises, gait training, head movement sequences, gaze stabilization exercises, functional training, and more.
Sometimes, balance issues are caused by bio-crystals that are a normal part of your balance system. When these crystals settle into the wrong area of your inner ear, they can throw off your balance. In that case, a physiotherapist can help by guiding you through head movement sequences that dislodge the crystals.
Some balance issues can be resolved in a single session or within days of starting treatment, while others will take longer. One thing to keep in mind is the longer you wait to get treatment, the more your brain gets accustomed to the negative changes in your balance—meaning it will take that much longer to retrain your body.
Cost and Coverage
Our vestibular rehabilitation services are often covered through extended healthcare plans—just like most of our treatments. That includes the coverage you have through an employer or motor vehicle insurance. And if you’re not sure if you’re covered, give us a call. We can offer our treatment plans at very competitive rates. So get in touch or schedule a consultation to learn more.
Activa is the ideal place to get VRT because we provide a comprehensive range of services. So though there are many possible causes for balance disorders, we can get to the root of your issues and solve them.
Our Registered Physiotherapists will speak with you and perform an exam to determine if VRT is the right treatment for you. Then they will design a custom treatment plan to meet your unique needs.
Whatever is throwing you off balance, we can help. With our seven clinic locations around the GTA, the perfect place to get vestibular rehabilitation services is likely just around the corner.