Physical Therapy for Post-Accident Vertigo

A common symptom following a car accident is dizziness, which can be quite frightening for patients. But don’t worry! Vertigo is treatable. Our physical therapy team at Impact Med Wesley Chapel is ready to help you get back to normal after a car accident, and discuss how physical therapy can help those that are suffering from vertigo post-accident.

What is Vertigo?

Vertigo is defined as a sensation of feeling off-balance or dizzy and is often triggered by inner ear problems or neck injuries.

Symptoms of vertigo include:

Spinning
Tilting
Swaying
Unbalanced feeling
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Neck pain
Feeling nauseated
Headache
Ringing in ears or hearing loss
Memory loss
Lack of concentration

What Causes Vertigo in a Car Accident?

Vertigo is often caused by neck damage because of whiplash following a car accident and is often called cervicogenic dizziness. Vertigo stems from a nerve in your spinal column that helps control and maintain balance in the body. When signals from this nerve to the brain are interrupted, vertigo occurs, thus resulting in dizziness.

BPPV

Another kind of vertigo is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and can cause dizziness following a car accident. BPPV typically occurs after a violent movement of the head during a car accident such as whiplash. Our inner ears contain tiny calcium crystals that are called otoliths that move against nerve endings in the inner ear, and they are responsible for telling the brain the position of the head.

When the head is violently jerked in a car accident, these tiny crystals in the ear can move from their correct positions to other parts of the inner ear and send conflicting signals to the brain causing, you guessed it, dizziness!

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Seek Medical Treatment Immediately Following an Accident

In the state of Florida, you have 14 days to use your PIP medical benefits following an accident, so it is important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible if you have been in an accident, even if you don’t feel immediate pain.

If you feel vertigo or pain following your accident our physical therapists will treat your vertigo depending on the underlying cause.

Physical Therapy for Post-Accident Vertigo

A physical therapist can help patients manage the symptoms of vertigo and dizziness following an accident so they can get moving again. Based on their evaluation of your condition and your mobility goals, your physical therapist will design a treatment plan that is specific to you.

Since every case of accident and case of vertigo is different, the exact treatments will depend on the extent of your vertigo and your limitations. Our focus with physical therapy is to help you gain mobility again and manage vertigo at the same time.

Treatment might include specialized head and neck movements that will help get rid of symptoms as well as targeted balance exercises to help target those vertigo symptoms.

Physical Therapy Treatments for Vertigo

Physical therapy treatments for dizziness and vertigo can vary and will depend on your unique problems and the extent of your injuries, and may include:

Exercises to help improve balance
Exercises to help your brain correct the issues in your inner ears
Exercises to improve your focus and vision
Exercises to improve the symptoms of whiplash following an accident

Your physical therapist might also prescribe exercises to help improve your strength and flexibility to improve your overall physical health and well-being.

Get Relief from Post-Accident Vertigo

If you have been in a car accident and have the symptoms of dizziness or nausea accompanied by neck or back pain, our physical therapy team at Impact Med Wesley Chapel can help! We will find the root cause of your vertigo and help you get back on the road to optimal health.

Say goodbye to vertigo! Schedule a physical therapy consultation at Impact Med Wesley Chapel today—813-953-1002!