It’s all about balance

If you’ve ever experienced a dizzy spell, you’ve experienced a blip in your body’s vestibular system. 

What is the vestibular system?

The vestibular system is our body’s sensory system that detects acceleration and changes in body movement. When it’s functioning properly, it means we can walk, run, or stand on one foot without falling over or experiencing dizziness. The vestibular system also helps us maintain proper posture — we can cut it some slack by making better choices about how we hold ourselves in space (text neck, we are looking at you!).

Where is it?

The vestibular system originates in our inner ear, and it sends constant signals to various points throughout our body:

• to our eyes, allowing us to maintain visual focus while moving
• to our muscles, keeping our posture in check
• to our brain, so that it can help us maintain our position and movement through space.

Vestibular dysfunction

When our vestibular systems are off-balance, we typically experience a range of symptoms from dizziness, imbalance, motion sensitivity, or blurred vision. Patients who come to Arbutus for help have told us that they feel light-headed, experience vertigo, have migraines or headaches, and in some cases develop anxiety and depression. 

Motion sickness, while not a symptom of vestibular dysfunction, happens from conflicting messages between what your inner ear senses and what your eyes see.

Fortunately, there are several therapies available to treat vestibular dysfunction and regain confidence in balance and moving through the world. Those include balance exercises, gaze stabilization, and other stability-inducing tasks. Fall prevention is a key component to correct and manage symptoms.

Connor Willis, Clinic Director at Arbutus, performs vestibular therapies for the clinic. He recently completed advanced certification in Vestibular Rehab. If you feel off-kilter and would like to understand your symptoms, we encourage you to reach out to the clinic.