Preparing for a Vestibular Rehabilitation Appointment

01

Describe function, not only dizziness

Balance symptoms can be difficult to describe. Note what happens when you turn your head, walk in darkness, use stairs, enter a busy shop, look at moving screens, or become tired. Include falls, near-falls, nausea, blurred vision, and activities you now avoid.

Sources: 1, 2

02

Bring a short pattern record

For several days, record the activity, symptom, duration, and what helped. Include medication changes and other relevant health information. The goal is not to prove how ill you feel; it is to give the therapist a clearer starting point.

• Your current medication list
• Recent falls or near-falls
• Walking aid or glasses you use
• The two activities you most want to regain

Sources: 1, 2

03

Ask how the plan will be individualized

Vestibular rehabilitation should be matched to assessment findings, health status, fall risk, and goals. Ask what each exercise is intended to address, how symptoms should respond, which reactions mean stop and contact the therapist, and how progress will be measured.

Sources: 1, 2

04

Make safety part of the appointment

Ask about stairs, low light, showering, driving, work tasks, and exercise. Do not begin another person’s online exercise plan without professional guidance. New, severe, or worsening neurological symptoms require medical evaluation rather than simply increasing rehabilitation exercises.

Sources: 1, 2