Understanding Your Vestibular Health Journey

The vestibular system is your body’s motion detector. It is a sensory organ that measures the direction and speed of movements of your head and body. In response, it activates reflexes that stabilize your gaze so you can keep your eyes focused on an object while moving, and reflexes that control your balance. You have two vestibular organs—one on each side—and they work together to send coordinated information to your brain.

When one organ is damaged, the brain receives mismatched information. This mismatch can lead to dizziness, nausea, imbalance, or difficulty keeping your eyes focused. Similar symptoms can also arise from problems involving the nerve connections to the brainstem or higher areas of the brain.

Some vestibular conditions can resolve spontaneously as the brain adapts to the mismatch in signals. However, not everyone fully compensates on their own. When the brain does not naturally restore balance and gaze stability, symptoms may persist. In these cases, vestibular rehabilitation is necessary to help complete the recovery process and promote proper compensation.

A skilled vestibular physical therapist can perform specific tests to differentiate between peripheral vestibular organ damage and central (brain-related) issues. This distinction guides the selection of exercises needed for your unique impairments. Sometimes a multidisciplinary approach is necessary, involving specialists such as neurologists or ENT (Ears, Nose, and Throat) physicians.

Vestibular rehabilitation exercises are designed to target the impairments caused by your condition. Some individuals notice improvements quickly, while others require more time. Research shows that a minimum dosage of eye and balance exercises is required for meaningful improvement. Consistent daily practice—often several times per day—is essential. The more you practice, the faster you will see results.

There is one specific condition where repositioning maneuvers are used to correct the problem: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). These maneuvers help guide displaced inner-ear crystals back into place. For more information, see the blog post on BPPV. It is important to note that canalith repositioning maneuvers only treat BPPV. They do not address other vestibular conditions.

For more information, please visit the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) website. They have excellent resources for patients including in-depth but clear information for each recognized vestibular disorder, suggestions for communicating with your care team, and even patient and caregiver support groups.