Vertigo & dizziness:
Physical therapy for vertigo and dizziness
If the room spins when you roll over, or you've stopped trusting your balance, you're in the right place. We find what's driving your dizziness and build a plan to help you feel steady again, one-on-one with a licensed physical therapist.
Serving Lake Wales · Haines City · Winter Haven
What's actually going on: Vertigo and dizziness: the short version
Your balance depends on three systems working together: the balance organs in your inner ear, your eyes, and the sensors in your feet, joints and muscles that tell your brain where your body is. When one of them sends the wrong signal, your brain gets mixed messages. That can feel like spinning, rocking, floating or just not trusting your feet.
Vertigo is the spinning kind of dizziness. A common cause is BPPV, an inner-ear problem caused by loose calcium crystals, which makes the room spin when you roll over in bed, lie down or tip your head back. Other causes include inflammation of the inner ear or balance nerve (vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis), Ménière's disease and dizziness that lingers after a concussion.
Dizziness has many causes, and each one is treated differently. That's why your therapist works out which system is struggling, and why, before choosing a single exercise. A plan for spinning when you roll over in bed looks very different from a plan for unsteady walking.
When dizziness needs to be checked first
Most dizziness is safe to assess with a physical therapist, but a few patterns need emergency care. If dizziness comes on suddenly with any of the signs below, don't book a physical therapy visit; call 911, because they can be signs of a stroke or a heart problem.
A drooping face, or weakness in an arm or leg.
Slurred speech, double vision or loss of vision.
Trouble walking, or a sudden, severe headache.
Chest pain or fainting.
See a doctor promptly for sudden hearing loss in one ear. If none of these apply, physical therapy is a safe and reasonable place to start.
How we help: How physical therapy treats vertigo and dizziness
Physical therapy for vertigo and dizziness, also called vestibular rehabilitation, starts with testing how your inner ear, eyes and body work together: eye movements, positional tests, balance, walking, and how your symptoms respond to head movement. Where available, computerized balance testing on the Bertec Balance System shows where your balance is breaking down.
For BPPV, gentle repositioning maneuvers, such as the Epley maneuver, move the loose crystals back where they belong, and treatment can start the same day. For other causes the work is exercise-based: gaze stabilization exercises help your vision stay steady while your head moves, habituation exercises help your brain tolerate the movements that set off your dizziness, and balance and walking training helps you feel steady on your feet again.
The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery guideline recommends repositioning maneuvers as treatment for BPPV. The American Physical Therapy Association's 2022 guideline strongly recommends vestibular rehabilitation for people with inner-ear weakness.
"Should I keep still until it passes?"
Your brain can adapt and relearn how to balance, and the right exercises help it get there faster. Your therapist starts with movements you can manage and builds from there, so you're never guessing how much is too much.
"Isn't dizziness just part of getting older?"
Dizziness is common, especially as we get older, but common doesn't mean you have to plan your day around it. Falls aren't an inevitable part of getting older either: a Cochrane review found that exercise programs built around balance reduced the rate of falls in older adults living at home by about 23%.
One-on-one care: Hands-on time with a licensed therapist
Every session for your dizziness is one-on-one with a licensed physical therapist. Some tests and exercises briefly bring on dizziness on purpose, so your therapist can see what triggers it. You're seated or supported the whole time, and you can stop whenever you need to.
What to expect: How long does it take to feel better?
It depends on the cause. For BPPV, treatment such as a repositioning maneuver can start at your first visit. Inner-ear weakness and dizziness that has lasted a long time usually take weeks of regular exercise. Results differ from person to person, and your therapist will tell you what's realistic for you after your evaluation.
Your first visit is a conversation about what your dizziness feels like, what sets it off and how long it lasts, then testing. It usually takes about 45 to 60 minutes. Here's what your first visit involves →
Early on, the focus is easing symptoms and making everyday movements, like rolling over or turning your head, feel safer.
As you progress, balance, walking and leg strength work helps you feel steady in busy stores, on uneven ground and on stairs.
Before you come in, wear comfortable shoes. If dizziness makes driving unsafe for you, bring someone to drive you home.
Getting started: You can start without a referral
In Florida, you don't need a physician's referral to begin physical therapy for dizziness; you can come straight to us. Your insurance may have its own requirements, which is a separate question from state law, so it's worth checking both before your first visit.
Related care: Where to go next
Care people trust: Physical therapy Polk County has trusted since 2013
Independent, veteran- and physical-therapist-owned, with vestibular and balance therapy at all three Polk County clinics.
8,000+
patients treated since founding in 2013
200+
Google reviews across our three clinics
4.9–5.0★
average rating, Lake Wales · Haines City · Winter Haven
Core Rehabilitation has been very thorough and has challenged my abilities to progress on my path of recovery. I would highly recommend treatment at this facility.
Tina Lange
via Google
Common questions about vertigo and dizziness
What is BPPV?
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, is a common inner-ear problem caused by loose calcium crystals. It makes the room spin when you roll over in bed, lie down or tip your head back.
Can physical therapy help with dizziness that isn't spinning?
Often, yes. Feeling off balance, as if you're standing on a boat, unsteady walking, or feeling worse in busy stores are all good reasons for a vestibular evaluation. Your therapist works out which system is involved and treats that.
Do I need a referral for vertigo treatment?
No. In Florida you can start physical therapy without a physician's referral. Florida Statute §486.021 allows a physical therapist to treat you for up to 30 days without one.
Should I stop my dizziness medicine before my visit?
No. Tell us about any medicine you take for dizziness, and don't stop a prescribed medicine without talking to your doctor.
Is vertigo treatment available at every clinic?
Yes. Vestibular and balance therapy is offered at all three clinics: Lake Wales, Haines City and Winter Haven.
Request an appointment
Tell us a little about you and your preferred location, and our team will reach out to schedule your visit. Prefer to talk? Call the clinic nearest you.
Lake Wales · 863-678-0705
Haines City · 863-421-2000
Winter Haven · 863-268-6523