Struggling with Dizziness? Physiotherapy Can Help Vestibular Migraines
Ever feel like the room is spinning, or like you're moving when you're actually standing still? If these dizzy spells come with a history of migraines—even if you're not in pain—you might be dealing with vestibular migraines.
Vestibular migraines don’t always follow the same rules as “normal” migraines. Some people get the dizziness without a headache. Others might feel off-balance, foggy, or nauseous for hours—or even days.
The good news? Physiotherapy can help. With the right approach, we can help calm your system, reduce your dizzy episodes, and get you feeling steady again.
What Exactly Is a Vestibular Migraine?
It’s a type of migraine that affects the vestibular system—the part of your inner ear and brain that controls balance and spatial orientation.
Common symptoms include:
Spontaneous vertigo or dizziness
Feeling off-balance or like you're swaying
Motion sensitivity (e.g., in the car or scrolling your phone)
Brain fog, pressure in the head, or nausea
Often triggered by stress, lack of sleep, bright lights, or certain foods
Unlike BPPV or inner ear infections, vestibular migraines are neurological, which means they don’t show up on standard ear or balance tests—but they’re very real.
How Can Physiotherapy Help?
While medication and lifestyle changes are part of the picture, vestibular physiotherapy plays a key role in helping people regain their balance and confidence.
Here’s how physio can make a difference:
1. Desensitising Your System
Your brain and balance system can become overly sensitive to motion or visual input—especially during or after a migraine episode.
We use vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT), which involves:
Gentle head and eye exercises
Balance retraining
Habituation exercises to help your brain adapt to triggers
The aim? Help your brain rewire itself to feel more stable again.
2. Treating Neck and Postural Issues
Vestibular migraines often come with neck stiffness, jaw tension, or poor posture—especially if you spend hours at a desk.
Hands-on physio can:
Ease neck and upper back tension
Improve posture and head positioning
Reduce muscle-driven triggers of dizziness
Sometimes, it’s the combination of neck strain and a sensitive vestibular system that keeps people feeling off.
3. Identifying and Managing Triggers
Your physio can help you spot the movement-based triggers that set off your symptoms, like:
Sudden head turns
Bright lights or busy environments
Car rides, supermarkets, or scrolling on your phone
We’ll guide you through a step-by-step desensitisation plan—gently exposing your system to triggers to help reduce your sensitivity over time.
4. Improving Confidence and Movement
Vestibular migraines can be scary. You might avoid certain places or movements out of fear you’ll get dizzy again.
Physiotherapy helps you rebuild confidence through:
Graded exposure to movement
Balance retraining
Breathing and grounding techniques to manage anxiety
Over time, you can return to work, exercise, and everyday life without that constant fear of tipping over.
When to See a Physio
If your dizziness lasts for hours or days, fluctuates with migraines, or doesn’t fully go away between episodes—vestibular physio can help. The sooner you start, the easier it is to break the cycle.
