Every time I attend some new training, there seems to be this uncanny experience I have whereby in the following weeks, multiple people come out of the woodwork needing treatment for that very condition. Now that I know this – I get prepared. However, about 10 years ago, after I had just finished my introductory course about Vestibular issues (dizzy problems) I didn’t expect that it would be me falling prey to something!

I was up, yet again, in the middle of the night to a toddler that didn’t sleep a whole lot, or perhaps the 4-year-old that was just learning how to get through the night without wetting the bed, when it happened. I jumped up as usual, but then felt the whole world start spinning causing me to fall straight over onto the floor. Once I got my bearings, I could tell straight away what was happening and was very thankful I could self-diagnose immediately. I realised at the time, how scary it would be for people who experience dizziness and do not know what is causing it.
There are many different causes of dizziness or vertigo, but most often the symptoms arise from a part of your ear, called the inner ear. This is where our cochlear lives (hearing part of the ear), but also the Vestibular organ
(the balance part of the ear). For something that is only around the size of a 10-cent piece, it sure can cause havoc if it is not working as it should.
Two of the most common issues we see are that of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and Vestibular Neuritis (VN). BPPV, or “crystals in the ear” is what I had. This can be brought on by many things, but stress can often be a factor. Once the crystals become dislodged in the ear and start floating where they shouldn’t you feel like the whole world is spinning every time you roll over, sit or stand up from the bed, and sometimes when looking up. Thankfully, if you can visit a physio who is trained in this area, like we are Physique, it can be determined where the crystals are and generally, they can be treated in only a couple of sessions.
The second condition, VN, is often a little trickier to fix but a physio trained in Vestibular Rehabilitation can get you back on track with a set of specific exercises to help the brain adapt to the damage of the nerve that supplies this area of the ear. In conjunction with these conditions, often people may develop neck pain and stiffness. To make the situation worse, often dizziness can also arise from stiffness in your neck! The vicious cycle continues.
Dizziness can be successfully treated, or significantly improved with physio. It can also sometimes be a serious symptom of heart or brain issues, so any sudden onset of dizziness, particularly if it does not stop and is accompanied by hearing loss, should be treated immediately by a Doctor. Once you are confident there is nothing serious going on, please reach out for help.