Tinnitus, Headaches, Dizziness, and Vertigo
Tinnitus is understood as a sound perceived in the ear(s) or head without external sound stimuli. Tinnitus when it appears in the ear(s) is an indicative symptom that there is a health problem, with different origins. This sign can be manifested when the patient has cervical pathologies, neurological diseases, hearing difficulties, excess caffeine, inadequate nutrition, diabetes, depression, accumulated earwax, cardiovascular diseases, changes in the temporomandibular joint and musculoskeletal problems. It can be accompanied by headaches, neck and shoulder pain.
The otorhinolaryngologist will diagnose and treat pulsatile, somatic, sensorineural, mixed or idiopathic tinnitus. However, the Physiotherapist is the health professional indicated when it comes to somatosensory tinnitus, that is, caused by musculoskeletal disorders, through the use of physical therapy.
Cervical, musculoskeletal problems, movement limitations, temporomandibular joint problems, incorrect posture, inappropriate use of cell phones, computers or emotional problems are some of the situations that cause tinnitus and that Physiotherapy helps to alleviate or eliminate. Throughout the sessions, the Physiotherapist will help the patient to relieve muscle tension, through various techniques such as muscle relaxation, stretching, joint mobilization, mobility exercises, pressure on tension points, TENS (electrostimulation), therapeutic massage. In addition to this work, the physiotherapist will suggest strategies for the patient to apply in their daily lives.
Physiotherapy and dizziness/vertigo
The Vestibular System is formed by the inner ear (labyrinth) and the brain, which together are responsible for our balance. When this system reveals problems, the patient may manifest symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, lack of balance and vision.
In the inner ear there are crystals that are responsible for balance and that, when not correctly positioned, cause the sensation of vertigo or dizziness.
Vestibular Physiotherapy is a fundamental help to mitigate or eliminate these problems, through its specialized treatments, that is, Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy. This is the recommended method for improving the quality of life of people with these conditions.
Clinical exercises aimed at these questions are, fundamentally, habituation exercises (the patient will reduce the frequency and strength of vertigo), gaze stabilization exercises (the patient will control his eye movements) and balance exercises (the patient will improve his balance).
Physiotherapy and headaches
Headache is commonly known as headache and affects more and more people, and is therefore one of the pathologies for which patients seek more medication. They can be divided according to two main categories: primary headaches (chronic pathology of organism dysfunction, without known cause) and secondary headaches (pathologies originating from other diseases, such as infections, flu, sinusitis, trauma). The most common primary headaches are tension-type and migraine, and the most common secondary headache is cervicogenic.
Headache, which sometimes arises with other problems such as musculoskeletal problems, as it is a multifactorial pathology, that is, it can have several causes, requires a multidisciplinary medical team for an accurate diagnosis.
For this situation, Craniocervical Physiotherapy is a therapy that works not only on the cause, but also on the origin of the headaches, thinking about the patient as a whole. The Physiotherapist begins with the patient's clinical history to understand everything that may be related to the complaint. He will make a careful and global clinical reasoning and will use strategies such as manual therapy, postural and movement re-education to reduce the intensity, frequency and duration of headaches, to reduce the associated symptoms and to provide the patient with prevention exercises, thus avoiding new crises.
