Main logo
  • Pay Your Bill
  • COVID-19 Info
Sign in
  • Get Care Now

    Sentara offers convenient options for care depending on your condition.

    • user-doctor-message.svg

      Virtual Care

      Video visits 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
    • user-doctor-long-hair-48px.svg

      Walk-In Care

      See a Sentara provider today
    • clipboard-medical-48px.svg

      Urgent Care

      Quality care without the wait
    • calendar-days-48px.svg

      New Patient Appointment

      Schedule an appointment with a primary care provider
    • hospital.svg

      Emergency Room

      Call 911 or go to your nearest ER
    Which Should I Choose?
  • Find a Location

    Sentara operates more than 100 sites of care across Virginia and North Carolina. Find locations near you.

    • Hospitals
    • Imaging Centers
    • Senior Care
    • Schools
    • Emergency
    • Outpatient Care
    • Primary Care
    • Therapy & Fitness
    • Home Care
    View Nearby Locations
  • Find a Doctor/Provider

    Find a doctor or other health care provider perfect for your medical needs.

    • Find a Doctor or Provider
    • Schedule an Appointment
    • Primary Care
    • What is an NP or PA?
    • Sentara Medical Group
    Find a Doctor or Provider
    • The doctor will see you now

      Try Sentara MDLIVE

  • Our Services

    Sentara offers a wide range of medical services throughout Virginia and North Carolina.

    • Cancer
    • Emergency
    • Heart & Vascular
    • Home Care
    • Imaging
    • Maternity
    • Neurosciences
    • Orthopedics
    • Therapy
    • Weight Loss Surgery
    View All Services
    Sentara is a Leader in...
    • mammography-universal.jpg

      Mammography

      Schedule your mammogram today

    • heart-ep-lab.jpg

      Heart and Vascular

      Nationally ranked heart care, close to home

  • Community Involvement

    We inspire, empower and support our community.

    • Purpose
    • Focus Areas
    • Community Impact
    • Partners
    • Team Members
    Learn More
    Featured News
    • NewSentaraLogo.png

      Investment in healthcare career programs

      Sentara Healthcare invests nearly $4 million in two new pipeline development programs to support students pursuing healthcare careers

    • Community Care mobile clinic_rect.png

      Sentara Community Care Achievements

      Sentara Community Care achieves measurable results in 2022, plans to expand across the Commonwealth in 2023

  • About Sentara

    Sentara has a long history of innovation, compassion and community benefit.

    • Careers
    • Classes & Events
    • Community Needs
    • Diversity
    • Foundations & Giving
    • Health & Wellness
    • Newsroom
    • Quality & Patient Safety
    More About Sentara
    Featured News & Press
    • Dennis and NORA.png

      Sentara celebrates partnership with the Network of Regional Advocacy (NORA) and its mission to address social determinants of health

    • Summer Trauma Injuries-Rectangle.jpg

      Let's not meet by accident: Sentara trauma team warns of common summer injuries

  1. Home
  2. Medical Services
  3. Rehabilitation and Therapy
  4. Specialty Services
  5. Vestibular Therapy

Vestibular Therapy

Feeling dizzy or having trouble with balance can make daily activities challenging. Trust the experts at Sentara to help you feel better with therapies to heal vestibular (inner ear) symptoms.

Vestibular Therapy: Why Choose Sentara?

Our therapists are experts in diagnosing and treating inner ear problems that create balance challenges. We provide personalized care to relieve symptoms and get you back on your feet. Patients consistently give our program high satisfaction scores for positive outcomes. Highlights include:

  • Proven expertise: Our certified physical therapists have training in specialized vestibular exercises to help ease symptoms and improve functioning when you experience dizziness. Meet our experts.
  • Convenient care: We offer vestibular therapy at Sentara Therapy Centers throughout Virginia and eastern North Carolina. Our same-day and next-day appointments make it easy to get the care you need in your community.
  • Seamless referrals: Our network of Sentara experts means problem-free, fast referrals for needed specialty therapy services.

Vestibular Therapy Treatment and Services

Vestibular disorders include vertigo (feeling like you're spinning), hearing issues and balance problems. We diagnose and treat these disorders in people of all ages. Sentara specialists provide:

Testing and diagnosis

We start by talking with you about your medical history and a physical examination. Our physical therapy experts test your balance and gait (how you move). We also assess any musculoskeletal issues you may be experiencing.

Trained specialists in vestibular disorders may do additional testing, including:

  • Electronystagmography (ENG): We place small electrodes on the skin near your eyes and do tests to measure your eye movements. Our experts change factors like your head position and the temperature in your ear canal to see how you respond.
  • Hearing tests: Sentara therapists conduct tests that measure how you respond to sounds and the pressure between your eardrum and inner ear.
  • Rotation tests: Our therapists attach electrodes to your skin or have you wear special goggles. We monitor eye movements while moving your head in different positions to learn how organs that regulate balance work together.

Therapists may use a CT scan or MRI to rule out problems that can cause vestibular symptoms. Depending on the cause of your symptoms, we may refer you to our neurological rehabilitation or occupational therapy experts.

Vestibular rehabilitation therapy

We teach you specific exercises that help your brain and inner ear work together to lessen dizziness and improve balance. Our specialists use:

  • Balance training: Exercises designed to help you feel more stable when standing and walking
  • Canalith repositioning: Specific head movements that help you feel less dizzy by shifting canaliths (calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear)
  • Vestibular habituation: Special exercises that mimic dizziness-causing movements train your brain to become familiar with the movements and reduce vertigo.

Fall-prevention therapy

If you have significant balance issues that create a safety risk, we may refer you to our fall-prevention therapy program. Sentara therapists help you understand how to make your home and environment safer to help prevent falls.

Medications

Doctors may recommend certain medications to relieve motion sickness or control nausea. If you have an inner ear infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to clear the infection or steroids to reduce inflammation.

Conditions We Treat With Vestibular Therapy

Vestibular disorders can occur after injury or illness, or due to a degenerative condition (where cells break down over time). These disorders can cause symptoms such as:

  • Balance problems
  • Cognitive issues (trouble with thinking)
  • Dizziness
  • Hearing loss
  • Nausea or motion sickness
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • Vision problems

Many different injuries and conditions can cause vestibular symptoms, including:

  • Inner ear problems (such as Meniere’s disease)
  • Medications
  • Posture issues
  • Stroke
  • Traumatic head injury
  • Vascular disease

Benefits of Vestibular Therapy

Our therapies help you regain balance so you can move with strength and confidence. We help eliminate dizziness so you can feel better and focus on the activities you love.

Request an Appointment

Learn more about vestibular therapy at Sentara. Visit our locations.

About Sentara

  • Community Involvement
  • Newsroom
  • Clinical Quality & Patient Safety
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • For Physicians
  • For Employees
  • Contact Us

Patient Quick Links

  • Sign In to MyChart
  • Find a Doctor
  • Get Directions
  • Patient Guide
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Medical Records
  • Medical Services A-Z

Sentara In Your Community

  • Hospitals & Locations
  • Classes, Events & Support Groups
  • ExploreHealth with Sentara
  • Community Health Needs Assessments
  • Make a Gift
getAppleButton.svggetGoogleButton.svg

  • Privacy Policy
  • User Agreement
  • Social Media Policy
  • Notice of Nondiscrimination
  • Compliance Office
  • Financial Assistance
  • Language Assistance
Your community, not-for-profit health partner. Copyright © 2023 Sentara Health.