If you suspect that you’ve sustained a concussion, fast track your recovery by following these general guidelines. You may not even realize you have signs and symptoms of a concussion until you try normal everyday activities. Early intervention is essential to safely recover. A concussion trained physical therapist can help you.

If you are experiencing vertigo, dizziness, or headaches and have been diagnosed with anything from BPPV to a concussion, you are not alone! It is estimated that 35% of adults in the United States ages 40+ have experienced symptoms related to a vestibular disorder. [1] If you are looking to address your condition, your doctor may refer you to Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT). But what is VRT and why did they make it sound like it’d be awful?!

Have you ever experienced dizziness, nausea, headache, difficulty with balance, or that hard-to-explain feeling of being "off"? If you have, then you've had experience with your vestibular system whether you’ve heard of it or not. If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms, you know that doing regular everyday tasks like getting ready in the morning, driving, working, and socializing can become difficult or even impossible. But what even is your vestibular system? How does it work?‍

Over the last several years concussions have been gaining more attention in the sports realm and media. While there is a lot of new information out in the ether about how to treat a concussion; unfortunately, there is also a lot of out-dated advice available. If you think you’ve sustained a concussion from a sports injury, car accident, fall around your home or some other way, you will benefit from physical therapy to address your injury and any concussion symptoms you may be experiencing.

Dizziness, nausea, headache, feeling off-balanced, or a hard to describe “off” sensation are common symptoms associated with vestibular disorders. If you’re experiencing one, two, or all of these symptoms, you know that going to work, exercising, and socializing can become difficult or even impossible. If you are experiencing a vestibular disorder, you’re not alone. It is estimated that 35% of adults in the United States aged 40 and above have experienced symptoms related to a vestibular disorder.

Acupuncture and dry needling can use the same, thin filiform needle. However, the mechanism for what each is used for differs. In this blog article, we will explore the differences between trigger point dry needling (TPDN) and acupuncture.‍ Have you ever felt a knot-like band in a muscle? Perhaps an aching pain coming from a particular spot on a muscle that is reproduced when pressure is applied? This may be known as a trigger point defined as a “focal area of hyperirritability that is sensitive to pressure and can refer symptoms to other areas of the body.”

While there are several types and a wide range of presentations, management of tinnitus is most successful with a multidisciplinary approach. Although there is no cure for tinnitus, I asked my colleague Dr. Drew Price, Au.D., FAAA, a local audiologist at Sound Relief Healing Center, about her take on managing symptoms.

After recently spending 3 days caretaking for my at-risk, elderly family members, I was humbled by the physical toll wearing a mask for 12 consecutive hours each day had on my body. As I was helping with household chores such as dishwashing, laundry and mail opening, about every 30 minutes I became aware of growing tension developing in the back of my neck. This was a result from looking down –– and over my mask –– for extended periods of time.

Everywhere we go, people are staring down at their phones –– hunched over, shoulders rounded, head forward. The long-term effects of this are shocking. There’s even a study showing people are growing ‘horns’ in the backs of their heads because of this prolonged posture.

In my previous post, we covered the benefits of learning how to breathe properly, as well as the foundation of our breath outlined by diaphragmatic breathing. Once you have learned the basics of proper breathing, you can move into different breathing techniques to foster a positive healing environment for the body and aid in managing stress. Other prerequisites are to find a comfortable seated posture and a calm, inner focus. My recommendation is to experiment with each and find the technique which resonates with you.