Vestibular rehabilitation (VR) is a type of specialist neurological physiotherapy which helps people with balance disorders. VR targets the vestibular system in the inner ear which controls the regulation of stable posture, balance and gaze.
Individuals with vestibular problems may complain of feeling dizzy, faint, nauseas and anxious. They may have problems focusing vision, moving head and neck and feel the need to sit or lie down regularly. They often feel unsteady while walking and describe it as motion sickness.
Vestibular rehabilitation helps the individual’s central nervous system to compensate for the inner ear deficit through a variety of specific exercises. The most well-known vestibular rehabilitation exercises were developed by Cawthorne and Cooksey in the 1940’s. These simple eye/head/body movements work by provoking the symptoms therefore ‘desensitizing’ the vestibular system. A specialist physiotherapist at Manchester Neuro Physio will be able to teach you these exercises and show you how to progress the level of difficulty appropriately.
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