Course Description:

Evaluation and Treatment patients with dizziness and balance disorders is a great challenge to today’s health care professional. An estimated 42% of the adult population will report episodes of dizziness or vertigo to their physicians and 85% of them will be due to vestibular dysfunctions. Vestibular disorders can cause dizziness, imbalance, and subsequent risk of fall and thereby greatly limit mobility, function, and quality of life. Vestibular rehabilitation is a growing, and much needed, area of therapy in which the therapists can guide a patient through the course of their dysfunction, assist them in recovery, and help to give them back the ability to participate in their lives. This basic to intermediate two-day course will overview therapists’ role in vestibular rehabilitation and enhance the clinician’s knowledge base and hands-on skill through lecture, case studies demonstration and practice and video presentation. Instruction will focus on review and analysis of relevant topics including anatomy and physiology of both vestibular and balance systems, assessment of vestibular disorders, diagnostic tests, medical management, rehabilitation with appropriate treatment strategies including Adaptation, Substitution, Habituation Exercise and concepts behind a successful Vestibular rehabilitation and balance program. Emphasis will be placed on current research using a variety of therapeutic approaches in treating patient with vestibular dysfunctions and balance disorders that will provide a foundation from which appropriate decision can be made with regard to patient needs.
This course is designed for participants with a basic to intermediate level of experience