What Is Vestibular Vertigo and How Is It Treated?

If you have ever been lying in bed and suddenly felt the room spin around you, or if you have rolled over in bed and experienced a sensation that the room is revolving around you, or if you have bent down to tie your shoes and felt very dizzy or lost your balance, you may have experienced vestibular vertigo. It is one of the most common complaints we see at MotionHeal, and the good news is that it is highly treatable.

What Is Vestibular Vertigo?

Vestibular vertigo is a type of dizziness caused by a problem in the vestibular system, the part of your inner ear and brain responsible for controlling balance and spatial orientation. When this system is disrupted, your brain receives mixed signals about where your body is in space, resulting in a spinning or tilting sensation even when you are standing still.

Common symptoms include dizziness or a spinning sensation, nausea, difficulty with balance, sensitivity to head movement, and brain fog.

What Causes Vestibular Vertigo?

Vestibular vertigo can stem from several different conditions, all affecting the inner ear or the vestibular nerve that connects it to the brain. The vestibular system is responsible for sending signals to your brain about movement, balance, and spatial orientation. When something disrupts that system, whether it is a dislodged crystal, inflammation, or a head injury, your brain receives conflicting information and responds with dizziness, nausea, and loss of balance. Understanding the root cause is the first step toward effective treatment, as each condition requires a different approach.

At MotionHeal, we use Infrared goggles to accurately detect and record subtle abnormal eye movements (nystagmus) that may not be clearly visible during a standard examination under room lighting. This technology helps us identify the underlying cause of vertigo more accurately and allows us to differentiate between various vestibular disorders. It also helps ensure that we rule out less common but more serious causes of dizziness and vertigo, including conditions involving the central nervous system, such as stroke or brainstem dysfunction or other central causes that may require further medical investigation.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and Vestibular Vertigo

BPPV is the most common cause of vestibular vertigo. It occurs when small calcium crystals called otoconia become dislodged from their normal position in the inner ear and drift into the fluid-filled canals. When you move your head, these crystals shift and send false movement signals to your brain, triggering a sudden spinning sensation. Episodes are brief, typically lasting seconds to a minute, but can recur frequently without treatment. BPPV is highly treatable with canalith repositioning maneuvers such as the Epley maneuver performed by a vestibular physiotherapist.

Other Causes for Vestibular Vertigo

• Vestibular Neuritis: Inflammation of the vestibular nerve, usually following a viral infection, causing sudden intense dizziness and balance problems that gradually improve over several weeks.
• Labyrinthitis: Similar to vestibular neuritis but also affects hearing, potentially causing temporary hearing loss or ringing in the ears alongside dizziness.
• Meniere’s Disease: A chronic inner ear condition caused by fluid buildup that produces recurring episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, and ear fullness lasting anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours.
• Concussion or Head Injury: Disrupts the brain’s ability to process balance and spatial information, often causing persistent dizziness and motion sensitivity that responds well to vestibular physiotherapy.

How Is Vestibular Vertigo Treated?

Vestibular physiotherapy is one of the most effective treatments for vestibular vertigo. At MotionHeal, our physiotherapists use evidence-based techniques tailored to the underlying cause, which may include canalith repositioning maneuvers such as the Epley maneuver to move dislodged crystals back into place, gaze stabilization exercises to help the eyes and brain recalibrate, balance retraining to reduce fall risk and improve stability, and habituation exercises to reduce sensitivity to movement over time.

Most patients see significant improvement within a few sessions, and many resolve completely with the right treatment plan.

How Long Does Vestibular Vertigo Last?

The answer depends on the cause, but most vestibular conditions respond well to treatment. BPPV episodes last only seconds to a minute but can persist for weeks or months without treatment, while most people improve within one to three physiotherapy sessions.

• Vestibular neuritis symptoms peak in the first day or two and gradually improve over several weeks, with labyrinthitis following a similar timeline.
• Meniere’s disease is a chronic condition with recurring episodes lasting 20 minutes to several hours that can be managed but not cured.
• Concussion-related vertigo can last weeks to months but responds well to vestibular physiotherapy.

In all cases, starting treatment early, staying active, and completing a home exercise program consistently are the biggest factors in speeding up recovery. If your dizziness has lasted more than a few days or is affecting your daily life, book an assessment at MotionHeal in Southwest Calgary.

Ready to Find Relief for Vestibular Vertigo?

If you are experiencing dizziness, balance problems, or recurring vertigo, do not wait it out. The sooner you get assessed, the sooner you can start feeling like yourself again. At MotionHeal in Southwest Calgary, our vestibular physiotherapists will identify the root cause of your symptoms and build a treatment plan tailored to you. Secure your booking today via our online booking form!