You roll over in bed and the room starts spinning. You stand up and the floor seems to wobble. Vertigo and dizziness can be unsettling, and they can knock your confidence. Both are common, and both often respond well to treatments like physiotherapy for vertigo.
Vertigo is the sense that you, or the room around you, is spinning when nothing is moving. Dizziness is broader. It can mean feeling lightheaded, off-balance or not quite right.
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Most vertigo and dizziness starts in the vestibular system. That is your inner ear, plus the parts of your brain that manage balance. When it sends mixed signals, the result is vertigo, dizziness, imbalance or nausea.
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At Pimpama Physiotherapy, vestibular physiotherapy is one of our areas of focus. We assess and treat vertigo and dizziness at our Pimpama clinic and through home visits across the Gold Coast, Logan and Brisbane.
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What Is The Difference Between Vertigo And Dizziness?
People use the two words to mean the same thing, but they are a bit different.
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Vertigo is a spinning sensation. It feels like you or your surroundings are moving when they are not.
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Dizziness is a broader term. It covers lightheadedness, feeling faint, feeling off-balance or feeling foggy.
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Both can come from the inner ear, the balance system or, less often, other causes. A good assessment sorts out which is which, because they need different treatment.​​
Common Causes Of Vertigo And Dizziness We Treat
Different problems can cause similar symptoms. These are the common ones we see at our Pimpama clinic:
01. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
The most common cause of vertigo. Tiny crystals in the inner ear come loose. Rolling over in bed, looking up or bending over can set off short bursts of spinning. It usually settles in one or two sessions with a repositioning manoeuvre like the Epley.
04. Meniere's Disease​
An inner ear condition with episodes of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and a feeling of fullness in the ear. We work alongside your ENT to manage balance between attacks.​​
02. Vestibular hypofunction
When one inner ear sends weaker balance signals than the other. It often follows an inner ear infection.
05. Vestibular migraine
Dizziness linked to migraine, sometimes without a headache.
03. Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis
Sudden inflammation of the balance nerve, often after a virus. It causes severe vertigo for a few days, then weeks of imbalance. Vestibular rehabilitation speeds up recovery.
06. Cervicogenic dizziness
Dizziness that the neck is contributing to (see our neck pain and whiplash page).
How Physiotherapy Helps Vertigo And Dizziness
Step one is a careful assessment. Many causes look alike from the outside but need different treatment. During physiotherapy for vertigo and dizziness, we check your eyes, your balance, your neck and how your symptoms behave with movement. Then we match the treatment to the cause.
The Epley Manoeuvre For BPPV
If your vertigo is BPPV, relief is often quick. We use a repositioning manoeuvre, usually the Epley, to move the loose crystals back where they belong. It is a simple series of head and body positions. It needs no medication and no surgery.
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Around 8 in 10 people with BPPV improve after one Epley treatment. Some need a second go. We also show you what to do if it comes back.
Vestibular Rehabilitation For Ongoing Dizziness
Not all dizziness is BPPV. For vestibular neuritis, Meniere’s disease, vestibular migraine, motion sensitivity and dizziness after concussion, we use vestibular rehabilitation.
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This is a structured exercise program. It retrains your brain to handle the signals from your inner ear. The exercises target your eyes, your balance and your tolerance for movement. Most people make solid progress within 4 to 8 weeks.
How Long Does Vertigo Last?
It depends on the cause.
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BPPV often settles within one or two treatment sessions. A single bout of spinning usually lasts under a minute, but it can keep returning until the crystals are repositioned.
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Vestibular neuritis can cause severe vertigo for a few days, then weeks of imbalance that rehab helps settle.
For most other vestibular problems, people make good progress over 4 to 8 weeks of vestibular rehabilitation. Your physiotherapist can give you a clearer timeframe once they know the cause.​
​When Should You See A Doctor About Dizziness?
Most dizziness is not dangerous. But some warning signs need urgent medical care, not a physio appointment. Call 000 or go to an emergency department if dizziness comes on suddenly with any of these:
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Weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg.
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Slurred speech or trouble understanding speech.
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A sudden, severe headache unlike any before.
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Double vision or loss of vision.
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Trouble walking or a sudden loss of balance.
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These can be signs of a stroke. Also see your GP if dizziness comes with new hearing loss, a fever or after a head injury.
Vertigo And Dizziness Physiotherapy In Clinic Or At Home
You can see us at our Pimpama clinic or we can come to you. Home visits suit people who feel too dizzy or unsteady to travel safely. We cover the northern Gold Coast, Logan and Brisbane. A vertigo assessment needs little equipment, so home visits work well, even for treating BPPV.
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You can book a physiotherapist directly for vertigo. Depending on your situation, your sessions may also be covered through Medicare, private health, the NDIS, DVA or WorkCover.
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If you are a participant of the National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland (NIISQ), you may be eligible for rehabilitation services under the scheme. Contact us to discuss your situation. Eligibility for any funding pathway depends on your individual circumstances and plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Book A Vestibular Assessment In Pimpama
Tired of the room spinning? Book a vestibular assessment at our Pimpama clinic, or request a home visit across the Gold Coast, Logan and Brisbane. If you are not sure whether physiotherapy is right for your dizziness, get in touch and we will point you in the right direction.
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Phone 0432 730 386 or email admin@pimpamaphysio.com.au.