30/03/2023
Vestibular rehabilitation is an evidence-based approach to managing dizziness, vertigo, motion sensitivity, balance and postural control issues that occur due to vestibular dysfunction.
Patients with vestibular impairment typically experience issues with gaze stability, motion stability, and balance and postural control. Vestibular rehabilitation is, therefore, focused on addressing these areas of pathology or dysfunction.
Vestibular disturbance is a significant issue globally. It is estimated that 35.4 percent of population aged over 40 have experienced some form of vestibular dysfunction. The likelihood of experiencing vestibular dysfunction increases with age.
80 percent of people aged over 65 years experience dizziness - in 30 to 50 percent of cases this dizziness is caused by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
75 percent of adults aged over 70 years have a balance impairment.
Nearly 85 percent of adults aged over 80 years have vestibular dysfunction.
Individuals with vestibular dysfunction are eight times more likely to experience a fall, which is significant as falls are associated with significant morbidity, mortality and economic cost.Moreover, the number of people experiencing vestibular dysfunction is expected to grow due to our ageing populations.
Dizziness and vertigo are not interchangeable terms:
Dizziness is a non-specific term used to describe a variety of sensations such as light-headedness, disorientation and presyncope.
Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness where there is the illusion of movement in the environment (e.g. spinning, whirling)
Vertigo is caused by both peripheral and central vestibular diseases. It is often rotational (i.e. the room spins around the patient), but there can also be linear disruptions or, less commonly, the patient might feel that his / her body is moving relative to the environment.
Dizziness and vertigo are both purely subjective phenomena. There is no objective means of measuring them, so the patient’s subjective history is key.
