Why You Should Not Self-Treat Vertigo

If the room spins when you roll over in bed, there is a good chance your problem is mechanical, specific, and fixable in a small number of visits. There is also a good chance you will make it worse by trying to fix it from a video.

Identifying the cause is the entire job

Vertigo is a symptom with several possible causes. The most common is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, where tiny crystals in the inner ear end up somewhere they should not be and send your brain the wrong information about where your head is.

But dizziness can also come from the neck, from vestibular migraine, from an inner ear infection, from concussion, or from your balance system simply becoming deconditioned. Each needs something different.

Why the crystals make self-treatment risky

BPPV is treated with a repositioning manoeuvre, and this is the part people miss: there is more than one canal in each ear, and there are two ears. The correct manoeuvre depends on which canal in which ear is involved.

Perform the wrong manoeuvre and you can move the crystals somewhere less convenient, turning a straightforward problem into a more stubborn one. That is not a theoretical risk. It is the most common reason people arrive having already tried.

What proper assessment looks like

Specific positional testing, with your therapist watching your eyes, to identify which ear and which canal. Then the manoeuvre that matches the finding, then exercises so your brain keeps the improvement.

Our clinical director is certified in vestibular and concussion rehabilitation by the American Balance Institute, and identifying which ear and which canal is exactly what that training is for.

It can move quickly

One of our patients came in with acute BPPV, having specifically needed someone who could identify which ear and canal were affected. It took three visits back to back to begin resolving, and by the fourth she was free of symptoms with a plan going forward.

You do not need a diagnosis before you reach out. See vestibular therapy for what the assessment involves.

If the room has been spinning, please get it assessed rather than attempting a manoeuvre you found online. Call or text us on (224) 858-5161, or request an appointment. No referral needed in Illinois.