5 Tips to Help You Prepare for a Vestibular Assessment

By Cheryl Wylie, MSc (PT)

When you are preparing to see a vestibular phytiotherapist you may be nervous about your first appointment and wanting to know how to prepare. Here are my 5 tips to get you ready and make the most out of your time with your therapist.

Track your symptoms

• Know what symptoms you feel is helpful for us, but also knowing when they come on, any known triggers, how long it lasts, and what helps to relieve them really helps us narrow down what may be behind your dizziness.

Dress the part

• We are going to ask you to lie down, stand on foam and walk so dress in comfortable clothes that allows you to perform these movements.

Write down your questions

• How often do you get into a doctors office and completely forget what you wanted to ask!? I've been there! Write them down and don't be shy saying you need to look at your list. I've also had patients email me questions ahead of time which also works!

Bring a friend or have a friend close by

• Vestibular appointments can make you DIZZY. So having some additional support to drive you home, or help you around the house afterwards can be really helpful, especially for the first few visits as you get used to your response.

Breath

• As mentioned, you will get dizzy when working with us, so practice some breathing strategies ahead of time to help reduce any dizziness and anxiety.

• You can try box breathing: imagine a square in front of you. As you draw you eye up the side of the box breath IN for 4 seconds. As you draw your eye along the top of the box HOLD for 4 seconds. As you draw your eye down the other side of the box, breath OUT for 4 seconds. Lastly, as you draw you eye along the bottom of the box, HOLD for 4 seconds.

If you are looking to understand more about what a vestibular physiotherapy appointment may entail, check out Frequently Asked Questions. 

I hope this list helps you feel prepared so that you can tackle your symptoms and get some relief! The hardest step is reaching out - it's all up from here!