Vestibular Therapy

 An individual's sense of balance occurs when the brain integrates normal signals from the ears, eyes, and muscles in the legs. When children or adults have an issue in any of these three areas, balance disorders can arise.

Your Ears and Balance
The most common source of balance disorders is an abnormality of the inner ear. There are two parts to the inner ear: the organ of hearing (the cochlea) and the organ of balance (the labyrinth, which comprises the semicircular canals and utricle). The labyrinth tells a person their position in space. If a person turns around or goes up, that individual is aware of the movement because the inner ear is being stimulated. When the inner ear does not work right, there is a false sensation of moving. This is the definition of “vertigo,” which involves a sensation of the room spinning or the floor rocking. While vertigo is one of the most common complaints of patients with inner ear balance disorders, other common complaints include feeling “woozy,” “light headed,” “off balance,” or “spacey.”

Balance disorders that arise from the inner ear are often associated with hearing loss, ear fullness, or a noise in the ear (tinnitus). In order to evaluate an inner ear balance disorder, hearing tests and balance tests are often necessary.