Dizziness is a common complaint that can affect people of all ages. It may feel like light-headedness, unsteadiness, or a spinning sensation (vertigo). For some, it happens occasionally and goes away quickly, but for others, dizziness can interfere with daily life, increase the risk of falls, and reduce confidence in movement.
Many people don’t realise that physiotherapists are trained to assess and manage dizziness, especially when it’s related to the balance system in the inner ear, neck problems, or other health conditions.
How Physiotherapists Assess Dizziness
When you see a physiotherapist for dizziness, they start with a thorough assessment to understand the cause of your symptoms. This often includes:
- Detailed history: When did the dizziness start? What triggers or eases it? How long do the episodes last? Are there other symptoms like nausea, headaches, or vision changes?
- Balance and walking assessment: Observing how you walk, turn, and stand to see how your body compensates for dizziness.
- Vestibular and neck tests: Special tests like head movement exercises or positional tests (e.g., Dix-Hallpike) help identify inner ear problems. Neck assessment to check for stiffness, poor posture, or cervicogenic causes of dizziness.
Common Causes Physiotherapy Can Help With
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): Can cause light-headedness or faintness.
- Cervicogenic dizziness: Linked to neck pain, stiffness, or poor posture.
- Inner ear problems: BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) – short bursts of spinning with head movement. Inner ear neuritis – inflammation of the vestibular nerve causing sudden vertigo, imbalance, and nausea. Vestibular hypofunction – weakness on one side of the balance system.
- Poor balance: Often seen in older adults or after periods of deconditioning, increasing fall risk.
- Central causes: Conditions like stroke or vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) can affect the brain and cause dizziness.
How Physiotherapy Can Help
Once the cause is identified, physiotherapy can provide effective treatment such as:
- Repositioning maneuvers (e.g., Epley maneuver): Helps treat inner ear crystal problems like BPPV.
- Vestibular rehabilitation exercises: Retrains the brain to improve balance and coordination, useful after inner ear neuritis or vestibular hypofunction.
- Neck treatment: Stretches, posture correction, and manual therapy to reduce cervicogenic dizziness.
- Balance training: Improves steadiness, reduces fall risk, and builds confidence in movement.
- Education and advice: Learn what triggers your symptoms and how to manage them safely.
- Referral and collaboration: For central or systemic causes like stroke, VBI, or low blood sugar, physiotherapists work with doctors and specialists to ensure comprehensive care.
When to Seek Help
Seek professional advice if you experience:
- Frequent or unexplained dizziness
- Sudden severe vertigo
- Dizziness with falls, weakness, numbness, or vision changes
- Dizziness after a neck injury or with poor balance
Physiotherapists often work with GPs, ENT specialists, and neurologists to ensure you get the right care. Dizziness doesn’t have to control your life. A thorough assessment by a physiotherapist can identify the cause and provide targeted treatment to restore balance, confidence, and independence.
Book a physiotherapy session with our team today to identify the root cause of your dizziness and provide treatment to help ease your symptoms, release muscle tension, and support long-term relief and balance.
