The Vestibular Migraine

 

What is a Vestibular Migraine? 

 

A vestibular migraine is a type of migraine that may or may not cause a headache but can include a number of debilitating symptoms affecting the ears, vision and balance.  

 

What do the symptoms of vestibular migraine feel like? 

 

Alongside symptoms of vertigo, imbalance and dizziness, during a vestibular migraine some sufferers may also find head movement involved in turning, bending down or looking up intolerable.  Other symptoms may include pressure within their head and/or ear, have neck pain or develop tinnitus (a ringing or other sound in the ear). People may also experience headaches, visual disturbances such as hazy or blurred vision, sparkles or blotches in their vision, or loss of part of their vision. 

Management: A recent case seen at our clinic. 

A patient presented recently with a 12-month history of the following symptoms that originated after moving to a new house: 

 

  • Dizziness 

  • Nausea 

  • Loss of balance  

  • Neck pain 

 

After a thorough assessment of the patient’s neck, temporomandibular joint (the joint where the jaw meets the skull) and facial muscles, the following management was used: 

 

  • Watson Headache management protocol 

  • Laser guided neck muscle training 

  • Deep cervical flexor strengthening with a chi ball (small muscles found at the front of the neck) 

  • Manual therapy of the facial muscles 

 

Following 3 sessions over the course of 1 week, the patient reported that her condition had improved with the cessation of symptoms including dizziness, nausea and balance disturbances.  

 

In conclusion, if you are suffering from any symptoms that affect your head, ears, vision or balance and are unsure of its cause, make an appointment with one of our experienced Physiotherapists at Wilson Physiotherapy. 

 

References 

 

The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. (2019). Vestibular Migraine. Retrieved from https://www.eyeandear.org.au/page/Patients/Patient_information/Balance_Disorders/What_are_some_types_of_balance_disorders/Vestibular_migraine/ 

 

Dan Elton