Vertigo Definition and Symptoms

• Vertigo occurs when a person experiences the "illusion of motion" according to Randy Swartz, M.D., and Paxton Longwell, M.D., of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Vertigo can happen to anyone, but the risk increases with age. Common causes include "benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, acute vestibular neuronitis or labyrinthitis, Ménière's disease, migraine, and anxiety disorders." Patients can experience nausea and vomiting and are at risk of falling. Vertigo that does not go away should lead to a visit to a doctor to explore treatment options.
  
  

Patient Exercises

• After checking with a doctor, a patient experiencing chronic vertigo may try special head exercises designed to relieve dizziness. Mary Ann Wilson, R.N., of Sit and Be Fit, suggests bending the head forward and backward with eyes open. She says to do this slowly, then more quickly. Then, she says to turn the head from side to side slowly at first and them more quickly. Regular repetition of these exercises may provide relief. Wilson explains that once dizziness improves, a patient may perform the exercises with eyes closed. In the 1980s, Drs. T. Brandt and R.B. Daroff introduced a set of exercises now called Brandt-Daroff exercises. According to the Vestibular Disorders Association, patients should perform these exercises multiple times each day until two days after vertigo subsides. These exercises are intended to "loosen and disperse particles from the cupula of the posterior semicircular canal." However, some experts believe that they work "through habituation, where the repetitive stimulus to the brain reduces the brain's response to it." To perform Brandt-Daroff exercises, sit on the edge of a bed. Move into a side-lying position until vertigo eases. Then, return to a sitting position for a fixed amount of time. Move again into a side position, this time on the opposite side. Repeat "in multiple sets throughout each day until two days after vertigo has not been experienced." Check with a doctor before trying these exercises.
  
  

Physician Administered Exercises

• Another common treatment for vertigo involves exercises administered by a physician. Swartz and Longwell explain that vestibular rehabilitation with the help of a physician is common in the treatment of vertigo. Ross Tomlin of Baylor College of Medicine cites a study by Helen Cohen, EdD, associate director of the Center for Balance Disorders at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She determined that "low-impact exercises successfully resolve problems caused by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo." Certain physician-administered exercises, especially movements that tilt a patient's head in a way that relocates "displaced calcium particles," were more effective than those designed just to ease the feelings of vertigo. Whether seeking exercises to perform at home or trying those performed by a physician, consult a doctor before trying exercise to relieve vertigo.