DIZZINESS OR VERTIGO 
Bondi Junction, Eastern suburbs Physiotherapy 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIZZINESS AND VERTIGO?

Dizziness is a broader term and describes the sensation of lightheadedness or disorientation. These symptoms can have a number of different causes. This might include neck issues, vascular or blood flow problems, vestibular disorders or brain trauma.

The majority of these symptoms are related to movement, and dizziness can be triggered or become aggravated by movements such as laying down or getting up.

Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness. Whilst experiencing symptoms of vertigo, it may feel as though you or the environment around you is spinning. The most common types of vertigo are Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and Cervical Vertigo.

BPPV

BPPV is more prevalent in women, with studies indicating that they are twice as likely to develop the condition compared to men.

Cervical vertigo 

Research has shown that vestibular rehabilitation exercises can be an effective adjunctive treatment for cervical vertigo, helping to improve balance and reduce dizziness symptoms.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

Patients who suffer from this condition usually report a type of dizziness where the room or the world is spinning around them. Other symptoms may include blurred vision, balance problems, nausea or even vomiting. This type of dizziness tends to be triggered by movements of the head.

Between 50 and 70% of BPPV cases are idiopathic, which means they have no known cause. However despite this, BPPV is very common, easily diagnosed and easily treatable! The Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre is the most common test for BPPV and is done within minutes to accurately diagnose this type of dizziness. The Epley manoeuvre is a very effective treatment for BPPV, and research has shown significant benefits within just a few sessions.

Cervical Vertigo

Cervical vertigo produces dizziness symptoms which originate in the cervical spine. This experience can either feel like it is the environment or yourself which is spinning, and usually occurs when moving or rotating the neck, potentially impacting balance.

Often a functional problem in the neck is a big contributor to this kind of dizziness. This may include muscle, ligament or fascia tightness, or a joint in the cervical spine which is stiff and immobile. Some other underlying causes can be cervical spondylosis (advanced osteoarthritis of the neck), trauma or whiplash.

Poor posture, cold wind, air conditioning or even poor set-up of a computer screen can be contributing factors to these issues, and together with neck pain, headaches and tinnitus, can result in significantly disruptive dizziness.

Manual therapy in the higher part of the neck can get you relatively fast results. This treatment is gentle and focuses on restoring the normal movement and flexibility in your neck. Many people feel some relief in the first session and most of our patients will report significant improvements within weeks.

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"Physiotherapy can be a very good option to treat these symptoms, especially when they are movement induced."

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DIZZINESS TREATMENT

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At Physio K, we’ve seen many people who have had dizziness or vertigo for a long time before they were accurately diagnosed. It is very common to have, and many people don’t know what to do about it. In many cases, medication is not a cure, and will not help you get rid of the problem. Contact us today to make an appointment, dizziness or vertigo can be treated effectively and most of the time it does not take many treatments!

As mentioned above, the Dix Hallpike manoevre or specific neck treatment can be very effective with these issues. Check out the page about neck problems here (link to neck pain treatment)