What are the exercises for someone who suffers from vertigo?
The feeling of spinning and imbalance even when you are standing still is the definition of vertigo. It might also manifest as a feeling of objects around you moving even when they are stationary. Not only do these symptoms become increasingly frustrating with time, but they also start to hinder your everyday life and routines the longer you suffer from them.
There are two different types of vertigo that people suffer from and it is important to learn to differentiate them before moving forward.
- Peripheral Vertigo – Did you know that 93 percent of all vertigo cases are actually peripheral vertigo? This type of vertigo is caused by problems to the vestibular nerve or in the inner ear area.
- Central Vertigo – Rarer of the two types, central vertigo happens due to some problems in the brain rather than the ear. This type of vertigo may require vertigo medicine and other professional medical interventions at a hospital.
Most of the medical intervention in the form of vertigo exercise is meant for people with peripheral vertigo, particularly the troubles caused by Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). In simple terms, chemical crystals from another part of your ear start to enter the semicircular canal in the ear. The vertigo exercise and home remedies help in redistributing these crystals, ultimately giving you a vertigo treatment that cures you of the problematic symptoms.
Vertigo Exercise and Home Remedies
Once you have been diagnosed with BPPV type of vertigo, there are a number of things that you can do at home to improve your condition. That is why we have provided you with a number of activities under the banner of vertigo exercise and remedies.
- The Epley Manoeuver
While originally requiring the help of two more people, the Epley manoeuvre has been modernized and modified so that you can do it on your own. You can do the home Epley manoeuvre by carefully following the steps mentioned below:
A. Sit-up on the bed in an upright position with your legs in front of you. Place a below behind you for support.
B. Turn your head to the left side to 45-degree angle.
C. Keeping that [position of your head, lie back down quickly until your shoulders reach the pillow. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
D. Without lifting your head up, turn it in the other direction at 90 degrees. This means you are now looking 45 degrees right from the original starting position facing forward. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
E. Further, turn your body to the right and turn your head 90 degrees again. This way your body weight is supported by your right arm and you are probably on the right edge of the bed with your head facing downwards. Hold this position for 30 seconds as well.
F. Rise up from the previous position and sit up on the bed, facing the right of your starting sitting position.
Ideally, you should do this vertigo exercise three times a day to have the best results. You should continue doing the vertigo treatment every day until you don’t experience the symptoms for 24 hours.
2. Brandt-Daroff Exercise
Out of the vertigo exercise and home remedies, the Brandt-Daroff exercise utilizes gravity to redistribute the crystals from your semicircular canal in the ears. Listed below are the steps that you need to follow to get the vertigo treatment to work:
A. Sit upright on your bed with your feet touching the ground. Then turn your head to the side at 45 degrees.
B. Holding that position of your head, lie down on your left side so that your left arm is supporting your body weight. Stay in the position for 30 seconds.
C. Resume your original starting position and stay there for 30 seconds.
D. Now turn your head to 45 degrees in the other direction and lie down with your right arm supporting the body weight. Stay in this position for 30 seconds.
E. Once again, resume your original starting position and stay there for 30 seconds.
F. In one go, complete a set of five repetitions on both the left and right sides.
This vertigo treatment will be more effective if you do one set in the morning, at midday and the evening; a total of three times a day. You can do this regularly for two to three weeks until your vertigo symptoms subside. One thing to keep in mind is that when you are done with this vertigo exercise; get up only after any dizziness has passed.
3. Semont Manoeuvre
Another one of BPPV vertigo exercise and home remedies, Semont manoeuvre takes less time to practice than Brandt-Daroff. But the drawback is that you definitely need to do this under the supervision of a medical professional or health practitioner. Here are the steps you need to follow for this vertigo treatment if your BPPV is focused on the right ear:
A. Be in an upright position on your bed and then, turn your head right to 45 degrees.
B. Holding that position of your head, lie down on the left side so that your left arm is taking your body weight and your head is touching the bed. Stay like that for 30 seconds.
C. Keeping the same angle of your head, move your body to the right side in one quick movement. Stay like that for 30 seconds.
D. Slowly get back into the starting position.
These steps work can be used vice-versa when you have a left ear BPPV. keep in mind that you don’t need to do this vertigo exercise more than once because it will already show positive effects from that one time without even needing any vertigo medicine.
4. Foster Manoeuvre
It is arguably one of the easiest vertigo exercises and home remedies out there because it does not require either a bed or any medical supervision. Also known as the half-somersault, here are the steps for this vertigo treatment:
Kneel down on the floor and place your hands in front of you, touching the ground. Start to tilt your head back and look up. Stay in this position until the dizziness passes.
A. Then place your head on the floor and put your chin near your knees.
B. Now turn your head to the left at 45 degrees angle and hold that position for 30 seconds.
C. In the same position if your head, rise up and align your head with your shoulders and back. Hold this position for 30 seconds too.
D. Slowly raise your head and sit in an upright position.
Do this vertigo exercise 4 to 5 times with a gap of 15 minutes in between each set to feel actual relief from the symptoms.
When you are not using any vertigo medicine, the vertigo exercise and home remedies can actually feel more unsafe. It is because they will cause dizziness at some point in the middle or even right from the start. The best way to tackle this is to pause and take breaks to let the dizziness pass. One more thing to keep in mind is to first have a proper diagnosis of your condition and only start vertigo exercise after the doctor has approved them. Do not self-diagnose or self-treat your vertigo, otherwise, it can cause more problems than finding any cures.
