- Chest pain, trouble breathing, a sudden severe headache or pain, new weakness or numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or a fall with a head injury needs emergency care now. Call 911.
Care
Dizziness and vertigo
Tests for what sets your dizziness off, and exercises to practice at home.
Dizziness is a word for many different feelings: the room spinning, the floor tilting, a floaty head, a pull to one side. We ask which one is yours, test what brings it on, and build exercises around what we find.
This care is for you if
The room spins or tilts when you turn your head, look up or roll over in bed
You feel unsteady in stores, in crowds or when things move around you
Your doctor has checked you and suggested a balance test or physical therapy
You want a plan you can practice at home
What we do
Eye-movement tests
Following a target, looking between two points and holding your gaze while your head moves.
Head and body positions
Set turns and tilts that show which movements bring on the dizziness.
Balance and walking tests
Standing on the floor and on foam, with eyes open and closed, and walking with turns.
Exercises for home
A short routine matched to what the tests showed, written down and practiced with you.
Your visit
What a first test looks like
One therapist, about an hour and a quarter. Bring someone with you if you like.
- 01
We hear when it happens
When the dizziness comes, how long it lasts, what sets it off and what you were doing the first time. Bring your list of medicines and anything your doctor has found.
- 02
We watch your eyes
You follow a target and look between two points while we watch how your eyes move and settle. Some people wear light video goggles so we can see the eyes in the dark.
- 03
We move your head and body
You turn your head, lie back and sit up in set positions. This can bring the dizziness on for a moment, which is part of what we are looking for. Say stop and we stop.
- 04
We test your balance
You stand on the floor and then on foam, with your eyes open and then closed, and you walk with turns. A therapist stays beside you the whole time.
- 05
We explain what we found
In plain words, with what it means for your week. You practice the first exercises with us, and with your say-so we write to your doctor.
Before you book
What decides how many visits
What the tests find, how your dizziness responds to practice, what your doctor advises and how much you can do at home. We tell you what we expect as we learn it, and we say so when we think it is time to change the plan.
How it is paid for
We bill many kinds of plans. If you pay without insurance, we give you a written estimate before care starts.
How fees workWhen to see a doctor first
New or sudden dizziness needs a doctor first, along with a sudden severe headache, trouble speaking or seeing, new weakness or numbness, or a fall with a head injury. For those, call 911. We do not diagnose the cause, and we do not advise on medicines.
Questions about this care
Can I come without seeing a doctor?
In Maryland, you can start without a referral. Your plan may still ask for one. If your dizziness is new or sudden, we ask you to see a doctor first.
Will the exercises make me dizzy?
Some will, for a short time, because the work is aimed at what you feel. You can pause or stop whenever you need to.
Do I need to stop my medicines?
Never on our advice. Bring your list and ask your doctor about any change.