If the room spins when you roll over in bed, or you feel unsteady in a grocery aisle, you are not imagining it. Vertigo and dizziness are among the most searched physiotherapy topics in Calgary, and they are also some of the most fixable when the inner ear and balance system are involved.
At Medpro Physiotherapy Massage and Wellness Centre on Nolanridge Crescent NW, we see patients from Sage Hill, Kincora, Evanston, and across northwest Calgary who have been told to “wait it out.” Vestibular physiotherapy is a better first step for many of them.
What is vestibular physiotherapy?
Your vestibular system sits in the inner ear and tells your brain where your head is in space. When those signals do not match what your eyes and joints report, you get spinning, rocking, nausea, or a floating feeling. Vestibular physiotherapy retrains that system with assessment, canalith repositioning when needed, and graded balance and gaze exercises.
- BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) after rolling in bed or looking up
- Dizziness that lingered after a cold, sinus infection, or vestibular neuritis
- Unsteadiness after concussion or a motor vehicle accident
- Motion sensitivity in stores, cars, or on screens
- Fall risk and balance loss that is not explained by joint pain alone
BPPV vs other types of dizziness
BPPV is a mechanical problem: tiny crystals in the inner ear drift into a canal and fire false movement signals. Attacks are brief, intense, and tied to position changes. Other dizziness can last hours, come with headache or neck pain, or flare with visual busy-ness. The treatment is different for each pattern, which is why a proper vestibular exam matters more than a generic “balance class.”
If looking up at a cupboard or lying down triggers a spin that settles within a minute, ask specifically about a BPPV assessment.
What happens at a vestibular visit in northwest Calgary
Your physiotherapist reviews medications, recent illness, head injury, migraines, and neck stiffness. We watch eye movements, test positional changes, and check walking and standing balance. If BPPV is confirmed, canalith repositioning (often an Epley-style manoeuvre) may be done in the same visit. You leave with a short home plan, not a stack of random internet exercises.
Neck treatment is often part of the plan. Cervicogenic dizziness, where stiff joints in the neck confuse the brain, is common in desk workers and after whiplash. That is why our vestibular care sits beside physiotherapy, chiropractic, and concussion management in one clinic.
When to seek urgent medical care instead
Call emergency services or go to urgent care for sudden severe headache, facial droop, arm weakness, double vision that does not settle, difficulty speaking, chest pain, or vertigo with fainting. Vestibular physiotherapy is for assessed inner ear, neck, and post-concussion dizziness, not for stroke or cardiac emergencies.
Frequently asked questions
How many vestibular physiotherapy sessions will I need in Calgary?
BPPV often improves in one to three visits. Longer standing dizziness or concussion related symptoms usually take four to eight sessions with a home exercise plan.
Can I drive after a vertigo treatment?
If we perform a repositioning manoeuvre, plan a ride home that day. Many people feel off for a few hours even when the spinning itself has stopped.
Do I need a doctor referral for vestibular physio in Alberta?
No referral is required to book at Medpro Physio. Bring any ENT, neurology, or imaging notes you already have so we can build on that work.
