Vertigo and BPPV treatment with physical therapy in Chatsworth

Dr. Ed starts by finding out what is behind the dizziness, because the cause decides the treatment. He also tells you when to see a physician first.

The positional test

In its patient guide to BPPV, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) says: "Physical therapists use positional tests to recreate BPPV symptoms." Dr. Ed does this test in the clinic, and it usually answers whether you have BPPV in one visit. He is trained in the Dix-Hallpike test and the Epley maneuver, and he screens you first to make sure they are right for you.

Repositioning maneuvers

The APTA guide also says BPPV occurs when crystals in the inner ear break off and move to a part called the semicircular canal. The guide adds: "Most cases of BPPV can be managed with treatment maneuvers by a physical therapist." The maneuvers are designed to move the crystals from the canal back into the appropriate area. Dr. Ed does repositioning maneuvers in the clinic, and they often settle BPPV within a few visits.

If it is not BPPV

For other dizziness, Dr. Ed builds a graded program of head and eye movements that goes up in steps. If you are unsteady too, he adds balance work, covered on the Balance and fall prevention page.

Your first visit is an evaluation, one-on-one with Dr. Ed. He explains what he found in plain terms and tells you the plan. Treatment is in the clinic plus a short home program, adjusted each visit as you progress.

How long it takes depends on the cause. BPPV often settles within a few visits. Other dizziness follows a graded program, so the pace depends on how you respond. Evening and Saturday appointments are available.

• Balance and fall preventionBalance work, fall prevention and vestibular therapy.
• Neurological rehabilitationDr. Ed's work with stroke, Parkinson's, MS, and spinal cord and brain injury.
• Vertigo and BPPV: why the room spinsWhy the room spins, and what a physical therapist does about it.