Vestibular Rehabilitation
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The importance of vestibular system in human balance
Among the three primary systems (vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive) involved in human balance, the vestibular system is in charge to detect the head motion and then to adjust these movement to our eyes.
Our sight controls how our eyes are moving and then treats the information coming from outside. The somatosensory system then send information on the position and movement of the articulations, muscles. An unbalanced information of one system and everything is unbalanced and can provoke strong dizziness.
The vestibular system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain that process the sensory information involved ith controlling balance and eye movements. If a disease or an injury damages this complex system, disorders or dizziness of balance, posture and movement can result.
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Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT)
is a specialized form of therapy intended to relieve both the primary and secondary problems caused by vestibular disorders. It is an exercise-based program primarily designed to reduce vertigo and dizziness, gaze instability, and/or imbalance and falls.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
Vestibular migraine
Labyrinthitis or vestibular neuritis
Ménière’s disease
Age-related dizziness & imbalance
Vestibular damage due to head injury
This consist of using the plasticity of the central nervous system, that is to say its ability to develop new balancing strategies, facing a damage on the peripheral vestibular system. Sometimes there is no peripheral vestibular deficit, but a central use impairment of the information coming from the inner ear.
The goals sought are
Decrease the intensity, duration and frequency of dizziness.
Improve standing balance when walking.
Reduce associated symptoms (nausea).
Techno Concept VRT solutions are using a problem-oriented approach to give the physical therapists options to tailor programs adapted to the patients need, improving balance and reducing sides effects related to these dizziness.
The possible techniques used are
Using a rotary chair stimulation, which acts on the reflexivity of the two vestibules.
Optokinetic stimulation. This technique reduces a possible visual dependence and promotes somatosensory information by the projection of moving light points with a patient standing.
Balance Forceplate. The objective is to develop proprioception and balance control by promoting somatosensory information when the patient is standing on an interactive platform.
