Vertigo / BPPV
Vertigo is a spinning sensation, and BPPV is its most common cause: tiny ear crystals slip out of place and cause brief, intense spinning when your head moves. A simple repositioning maneuver often settles it in one to three visits. PAR Physical Therapy treats vertigo in Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
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Vertigo vs. general dizziness
The words feel the same, but the treatments are different.
Vertigo
You or the room feels like it is spinning. Vertigo often comes with nausea and starts or ends in seconds to minutes.
Dizziness
Lightheaded, woozy or unsteady, without spinning. It has many causes, covered on vestibular rehab.
BPPV in plain language: ear crystals
BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) happens when ear crystals made of calcium move from where they belong into one of the inner ear's canals. When your head moves, they shift and send false motion signals, so the room spins. It is called positional vertigo because certain positions trigger it. It is harmless, but it is unpleasant and raises fall risk.
Typical triggers
We hear "room spinning" and "dizzy when I roll over in bed" more than anything, along with "dizzy when I lie down".
- Rolling over in bed
- Lying down
- Looking up at a shelf
- Bending forward
- Getting up quickly
How we diagnose it and treat it
The test is quick, and the treatment is done in the same visit when possible.
- The Dix-Hallpike test: we move your head into position and watch your eyes for a typical pattern
- Canalith repositioning (the Epley maneuver) moves the crystals back where they belong
- The Semont maneuver, when it suits the affected canal better
- Brandt-Daroff exercises to practice at home when needed
- Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) when dizziness lingers after the spinning stops
Why it often resolves in one to three visits
Because the cause is mechanical, putting the crystals back often relieves the spinning quickly. Some people feel a little off balance for a few days afterwards, and BPPV can return. We teach you what to do if it does. Vertigo treatment is not a promise of a certain number of visits, and your therapist explains what to expect.
If the test is negative, or the dizziness is constant, it may not be BPPV. We then look at the bigger picture on vestibular rehab. If you also hit your head, see Concussion.
Go to the ER if vertigo comes with
- Slurred speech
- A drooping face
- Weakness
- Double vision
- A sudden, severe headache
Call 911 for these symptoms.
Related care
Vertigo care in Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet
Looking for vertigo physical therapy? Call either clinic or request an appointment. Same-day appointments are possible, and we accept most insurance plans.
We see patients in Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
Request an Appointment Call Myrtle Beach Call Murrells Inlet