Do you find yourself getting dizzy doing everyday tasks, such as getting out of bed or walking down the driveway to get the mail? Do you find it hard to focus on one thing for long periods of time? Do you feel fatigued, lightheaded, or nauseous at any given time of the day? If so, some of these can be signs of a common head cold – but they can also be signs of vertigo.
N E W S L E T T E R Y O U R H E A L T H I S O U R P R I O R I T Y OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2020
E M P O W E R P H Y S I C A L T H E R A P Y
DON’T LET VERTIGO KEEP YOU FROM DOING WHAT YOU LOVE
ALSO INSIDE: • Answers To Your Most Dizzying Questions • How We Can Help • Benefits Of Stretching • Exercise Essential
EMPOWERALASKA.COM
N E W S L E T T E R Y O U R H E A L T H I S O U R P R I O R I T Y
E M P O W E R P H Y S I C A L T H E R A P Y
OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2020
EMPOWERALASKA.COM
ANSWERS TO YOUR MOST DIZZYING QUESTIONS. DON’T LET VERTIGO KEEP YOU FROM DOING WHAT YOU LOVE
The most common causes of vertigo are:
Do you find yourself getting dizzy doing everyday tasks, such as getting out of bed or walking down the driveway to get the mail? Do you find it hard to focus on one thing for long periods of time? Do you feel fatigued, lightheaded, or nauseous at any given time of the day? If so, some of these can be signs of a common head cold – but they can also be signs of vertigo. A head cold, also referred to as the “common cold” is exactly that - it is one of the most common ailments people experience each year. On average, an adult will typically get 2-3 head colds a year. You know the feeling - stuffy nose, sore throat, dry cough, achiness… the overall feeling of wanting to stay in bed and drink herbal tea all day. Luckily, for head colds, that’s actually the best remedy! Most of these “common colds” will go away on their own (with a little relaxation and maybe a cough drop or two) within a week. If your symptoms remain mild, it is best to just take time and let yourself heal at home, possibly with the aid of some DayQuil or another nose-throat-and-cough syrup that you can purchase at your local convenience store. However, if your fatigue becomes severe, you begin feeling nauseous, or you start experiencing an overwhelming feeling of dizziness or imbalance, there is a chance you could have vertigo. If so, our physical therapists at Empower Physical Therapy can help relieve your symptoms.
• BPPV – also known as “benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.” While this sounds like a scary, long-winded diagnosis, it is essentially an inner-ear infection. This type of infection occurs whenmicroscopic calciumparticles called “canaliths” clump up in the inner ear canals. Your inner ear is responsible for sending gravitational messages to your brain regarding the movements of your body. This is how we remain balanced on a daily basis. When the inner ear canals are blocked, the correct messages are unable to make it to the brain, and we become unbalanced – thus, causing vertigo. • Meniere’s Disease – this is a disorder of the inner ear. It is caused by a buildup of fluid and fluctuating pressures within the ear. It has the same effect as BPPV, as the fluid and pressure will block messages from the inner ear canal to the brain, resulting in imbalance. Meniere’s Disease can cause long episodes of vertigo, in addition to tinnitus, commonly referred to as “a ringing of the ears,” and even hearing loss in extreme cases. • Vestibular neuritis – also known as “labyrinthitis.” Again, this sounds much scarier than it is. It is another inner ear infection, which is typically viral. It causes the inner ear and surrounding nerves to become inflamed, resulting, again, in difficulties with balance due to discrepancies regarding gravitational brain messages. This is how vertigo begins. As you can see, the most common causes of vertigo are due to issues with the inner ear. However, some less common causes of vertigo can include:
What is Vertigo?
Before you can determine whether or not you have vertigo, as opposed to a head cold that will go away on its own, it is important to understand what exactly it is. People who experience vertigo typically report an overwhelming sensation of feeling “off balance.” It can make someone feel dizzy, which can lead to nausea, tunnel vision, or even fainting spells. Imagine standing still and feeling as if the rest of the world is spinning around you – remember those fun-houses with the uneven floors you used to go in as a kid? That’s essentially what vertigo feels like. But what exactly causes it?
• Injury to the head or neck.
• Stroke.
• Migraines.
• Brain tumor.
• Medications.
EXPERIENCE THE BENEFITS OF STRETCHING
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
ZOLA LARSEN, PTA. Hello! My name is Zola Larsen and I am one of the Physical Therapist Assistants at Empower Physical Therapy. I have been with Empower for two and a half years, first starting out as a Physical Therapy Technician and then returning after my schooling to become a PTA. I love the work I do and being able to work in a fun and positive environment while helping people to attain their PT goals. Outside of work and during my free time, I love to be outdoors as much as I can. I enjoy hiking the most, with friends or my pup Enzo, but love to take road trips, kayaking and camping. I haven’t quite found a winter sport or activity yet, but am hoping to do so this winter so that I am able to continue enjoying the outdoors through the year! Should you have any physical therapy needs, myself along with the team, hope to see you at either one of our Empower clinic locations!
As you age, your muscle tissue actually dries out a little, tightening. This causes a loss of range of motion in your joints and tissues. In addition to the loss of range of motion, it can really limit your active lifestyles and hinder day-to-day, normal motions. Tasks that used to be simple, such as dressing or
“GREAT ENVIRONMENT TO REGAIN YOUR STRENGTH AND MOBI L I TY.” “All the Staff at Empower Physical Therapy are friendly and welcoming. The staff are knowledgable and encouraging. Great environment to regain your strength and mobility!” —K.J. PATIENT SUCCESS! squatting down to tie your shoes, now become extremely difficult. A regular stretching program helps lengthen your muscles and makes daily living activities much easier. Everyone can learn to stretch, regardless of age or flexibility. Stretching should be a part of your daily routine, whether you exercise or not. It does not have to involve a huge amount of time, but stretching can end up giving you huge results! Stretching is a natural part of what we do on a daily basis. Youmight notice that if you have been sitting in a particular position for a long time, you stretch unconsciously. It feels good! In addition to that good feeling, a consistent stretching program will produce large gains in flexibility and joint movement. Be kind to your muscles and they will be kind to you! Here are just a few of the benefits you can expect from a regular stretching program: • Reduced muscle tension • Increased range of movement in the joints • Enhanced muscular coordination • Increased circulation of the blood to various parts of the body • Increased energy levels (resulting from increased circulation)
HOW WE CAN HELP
• Vestibular rehabilitation – this form of physical therapy focuses on the vestibular system, located within the inner ear, and the ways in which we can strengthen it. The vestibular system sends the gravitational messages to your brain about your body movements, and focusing on balance-specific exercises can help in strengthening this system, thus diminishing the effects of vertigo. • Canalith repositioning maneuvers – this form of physical therapy focuses on treatment-specific head and body movements for BPPV patients. These exercises help in moving the calcium deposits out of the inner ear canal to alleviate blockage and allow gravitational messages to be more easily received by the brain. As the blockage shrinks, the symptoms of vertigo will lessen. If you believe you may be experiencing vertigo, contact Empower Physical Therapy today. We’ll provide relief for all of your dizzying symptoms.
The most common symptoms of vertigo are:
• Dizziness – this is the most commonly reported symptom of vertigo, also referred to as swaying, spinning, tilting, or the sensation of being pulled to one direction. • Nystagmus – this is the phenomenon of experiencing uncontrollable eye movements, commonly referred to as “eye jerks.”
• Tinnitus – this is commonly referred to as “a ringing of the ears.”
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Sweating
• Fainting
• Hearing loss
EXERCISE ESSENTIAL USE THIS EXERCISE TO IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE. BALANCE | ANKLE STRATEGY Stand with good posture. Sway backwards and forwards keeping your knees and hips straight. Maintain your balance by using your ankles. Sway for 30 seconds. Rest. Repeat 5 times. It can undoubtedly be difficult to determine when to seek treatment for something. It is true that vertigo can sometimes go away on its own, but it can also progress and result in worsening symptoms over time. Why would you want to take the risk? If you believe you may have the symptoms of vertigo or one of its causes, it is important to consult with a doctor immediately. Physical therapy is a common treatment for vertigo, and our therapists at Empower Physical Therapy are trained to help alleviate any dizzying, lightheaded, or physically unstable symptoms you may be experiencing. The most common treatments for vertigo are:
Have youmet your 2020 deductible? If you havemet your insurance deductible this year, or have money in your HSA account, it would cost you little or nothing for us to treat those aches and pains. Or, if you want to work on your core strength before we head into 2021, the Empower PT team can help! Your insurance plan may cover it completely. YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR FREE PHYSICAL THERAPY FROM PEOPLE YOU TRUST HAVE YOU MET YOUR 2020 DEDUCTIBLE?
Looking for more home exercise options? Find us on our social media channels for quick tip videos!
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