Vestibular Rehabilitation - St. Peter's Hospital

We Are Part of a TeamOur rehabilitation team consists of physical,occupational and recreational therapists as well asspeech pathologists and audiologists. We workwith a patient’s physician, nurses and other healthcare professionals to provide a coordinated approachto care in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.ST. PETER’S REHABILITATION SERVICESOUTPATIENT REHABILITATION319 South Manning Boulevard • Suite 301 • Albany, NY 12208518.525.1372ST. PETER’S PHYSICAL THERAPY & FITNESS1240 New Scotland Road • Slingerlands, NY 12159518.475.1818www.stpetershealthcare.orgVESTIBULARREHABILITATION PROGRAMBalance Problems & DizzinessOur services include general acute hospital care, andfor appropriate diagnoses, a dedicated rehabilitationunit within the hospital. We provide personalized,comprehensive care for adults and children recoveringfrom surgery, stroke, and neurological, cognitiveand musculoskeletal conditions. For patients andfamilies coping with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), weoffer the region’s only ALS Center and equipmentloan closet.St. Peter’s offers a full continuum of rehabilitativecare, from inpatient, to outpatient, to home-basedcare. Patients requiring care after discharge mayreceive rehabilitation services at either of our twooutpatient settings or, if appropriate, in their homesetting. For patients who are not yet ready to returnhome, St. Peter’s also offers rehabilitative services atSt. Peter’s Nursing & Rehabilitation Center locatedon the hospital campus and Our Lady of Mercy LifeCenter located in Guilderland.Your Leaderin RehabilitativeCareSt. Peter’s Health Care Services, a comprehensive,integrated system of care, is the Capital Region’slargest provider of health care services.St. Peter’s Hospital is proud to be designateda national Magnet TM Hospital for consistent excellencein nursing services. St. Peter’s has also been rankedamong an elite group of hospitals nationwide as aDistinguished Hospital for Patient Safety TM ,Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospital, Top 100 Stroke Hospitaland Top 100 Hospital for overall clinical services.St. Peter’s continues to set the pacefor health care innovations. We are 5,000 professionalswho know that technology is critical to treatment,but compassion is the key to healing.The science of medicine.The compassion to heal.The science of medicine. The compassion to heal.

What is Vestibular Rehabilitation?More than 90 millionAmerican teenagers andadults have had problemswith balance or dizziness.These problems can cause people to fall,or feel disoriented, confused and anxious.The Vestibular Rehabilitation Program atSt. Peter’s Hospital is dedicated to helpingindividuals who have these disorders remainactive and meet daily physical challengesmore safely.With nearly a decade of experience inbalance and dizziness disorders, patients canrely on our team of health care professionalsto provide the highest quality health care.Our team at St. Peter’s RehabilitationCenter uses proven techniques to identifyand treat specific balance and movementproblems. Our patients benefit from programsthat are focused on their individualneeds, including rehabilitation, educationand improving their overall well-being.The vestibular system is a part of the inner ear thathelps to control balance. If your inner ear is damaged bydisease or injury, you may benefit from vestibularrehabilitation. Vestibular rehabilitation is an exercisebasedtherapy program used to treat balance anddizziness disorders. It is based on the body’s naturalability to compensate for balance problems. Certainexercises strengthen this ability, and with a focusedexercise routine, patients can improve their balance.A therapist will evaluate each patient and perform testsin order to develop an individualized treatment planwhich may include:• Balance retraining and balance strategies: helpingthe body to regain balance through a variety ofexercises and techniques.• Sensory organization techniques and gazestabilization strategies: helping the body touse its senses to overcome dizziness and decreasedbalance.• Habituation exercises: helping the body to decreasedizziness by repeatedly exposing it to a stimulus.• Canalith Repositioning maneuver: a maneuverperformed by the therapist to manipulate the calciumcrystals found in the inner ear.• Individualized home exercise program: anexercise program patients can do at home, basedon each patient’s individual needs.What Diagnostic Tests ArePerformed?Balance is affected by the way the central nervoussystem uses information from the inner ear, the eyes,the muscles, and the sensation of the lower extremities.A therapist trained in vestibular rehabilitation evaluates:• Functional limitations (tasks a person is unableto do because of balance problems).• Sensory integration (the way the body interpretsinformation from the senses).• Gaze stability (the ability of the body to visuallyfocus).• Static and dynamic balance (the ability to balancewith and without movement).• Positional testing (testing a patient’s response toa variety of positions, i.e. sitting, lying down, etc.).Who Will Benefit From VestibularRehabilitation?The Vestibular Rehabilitation Program offers treatmentsfor a wide variety of conditions that result in balanceproblems and dizziness. Some of these include:• Labyrinthitis: inflammation of the labyrinth(the inner part of the ear that controls balance).• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV):caused by calcium crystals floating in the ear as theresult of a blow to the head, or weakened andcollapsed hair cells that release calcium crystals intothe ear.• Perilymph Fistula: caused by intense pressurein the inner ear, or a blow to the head, whichresults in a hole between the middle and inner ear.• Drug-Induced Ototoxicity: damage to the haircells of the inner ear, caused by long-term intravenoususe of certain types of drugs.• Acoustic Neuroma: slow-growing tumor of theeighth cranial nerve, which can be corrected bysurgery.• Meniere’s Disease: over-accumulation of fluid inthe inner ear that causes attacks of vertigo, ringingin the ear, and fluctuating hearing loss.• Migrainous Vertigo: dizziness associated with theauras (light and sound sensitivities) of a migraineheadache.To Make An AppointmentA written referral or prescription from a physicianis required to make an appointment at St. Peter’sOutpatient Physical Rehabilitation Center. Mosttypes of insurance are accepted for the VestibularRehabilitation