Vestibular rehabilitation - Lausanne
Philae Center
Welcome to our physiotherapy center specializing in vestibular rehabilitation in Lausanne!
Regain your Balance
The vestibular system, located in the inner ear, plays an essential role in our ability to maintain balance and perceive our position in space. When disrupted by problems such as vertigo, dizziness or loss of balance, this can have a significant impact on life.
The vestibular rehabilitation approach is based on a thorough assessment of each patient to understand the nature of their symptoms and identify underlying problems. This assessment enables a personalized rehabilitation program to be designed according to each individual's specific needs. Treatment may include a variety of exercises and techniques designed to stimulate and strengthen the vestibular system. These may involve head movements, changes in body position, oculomotricity (eye movement) exercises, as well as balance and coordination exercises.
Alexandre Dessert : Your specialist in Vestibular Rehabilitation in Lausanne
My name is Alexandre, and I specialize in vestibular rehabilitation. I'm delighted to welcome you to the Philae center! Passionate about my work, I see every day the positive impact it can have on my patients' lives. Their ability to regain their balance and overcome their symptoms is a source of inspiration for me as a physiotherapist.
From Diagnosis to Recovery : Your Vestibular Rehabilitation Journey Deciphered
Vestibular Rehabilitation: Your Ally
If you're struggling with vestibular problems, I encourage you to seek help. Together, we can work to help you regain your balance and lead a fulfilling life, free from dizziness and discomfort. Vestibular rehabilitation can be the first step towards a better quality of life.
The Initial Exam: A Deep Look at Your Eye
I examine your eye carefully in a darkened environment, using a videonystagmoscopy mask. This device enables me to accurately assess your nystagmus. The mask, connected to a computer, captures and records the trajectory of the nystagmus(es), facilitating accurate diagnosis and detailed evaluation at the end of treatment, which we can share with your doctor.
The Rotating Chair: The Pivot of Your Treatment
For the rest of the treatment, you will be comfortably seated in a rotating chair chair. Thanks to different rotation speeds, this chair can treat certain vertiginous attacks by acting directly on your vestibulo-ocular reflex. It is also connected to a computer, which collects essential information such as position, number of rotations, angular speed and accelerations.
The Liberation Maneuver: Readjusting the Inner Ear
If displaced crystals are interfering with the functioning of your inner ear, I perform a release maneuver. During this procedure, you will remain seated on the treatment table, while I quickly move you from side to side to reset the crystals.
Customized Exercises: Complementary Therapy
In addition to these treatments, I will offer you a series of targeted therapeutic exercises. Some of these exercises will be performed directly in the office, to take advantage of the specialized equipment available. I also use simple exercises that don't require any special equipment, enabling you to effectively extend the treatment at home between sessions.
Your therapeutic journey: Patience and support
Vestibular rehabilitation is a gradual process, and I'm here to support you every step of the way. I encourage patience and perseverance, as improvement can take time. My aim is to support you on your journey towards a better quality of life and greater independence.
Your physiotherapist in Lausanne
Alexandre Dessert
Specialized in vestibular disorders, I hold a V.I.R.E. certificate. This is a comprehensive training program covering vertigo, instability, rehabilitation and teaching in this field. I broadened my knowledge with a D.I.U., a university diploma in the rehabilitation of balance disorders. The immersion I gained during my training in highly specialized departments and the exchanges I had with ENT doctors were of great benefit to me in my current practice.
Dizziness and its causes
There are many reasons for this, most often due to a malfunction in one ear and more rarely due to a problem with the central system.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo:
The most common (about 40% of cases), small crystals interfere with the functioning of the inner ear and cause brief dizziness (1 minute). The dizziness starts again with each change of position. They last less than a month and tend to recur in the future.
Meniere's disease:
More rare, it represents approximately 10% of the cases. The attacks of vertigo are accompanied by other disorders (tinnitus, deafness...) and last a few hours. The vertiginous episodes recur episodically but cause in the long run a wear of the labyrinth of the ear.
Vestibular neuronitis:
Rare about 5% of cases where the vestibular nerve is affected. This corresponds to intense rotatory vertigo that lasts several days. This results in significant instability.
Acoustic neuroma:
Very rare represents 1 to 2/1000 vertigo. It is a benign tumor of the vestibular nerve. The evolution is slow, there is no vertigo but a unilateral deafness which evolves over several years. The solution is surgical, the physiotherapy re-education frames the surgery.
Vertigo of central origin:
About 10% of cases. They are accompanied by headaches, visual disturbances, and other neurological signs. They should be treated urgently because they can be life threatening. They are sometimes indicative of other problems such as degenerative diseases, tumors...
Functional vertigo of central origin can be as benign, such as :
- Visual preponderance: often confused with agoraphobia, rehabilitation offers good results.
- Vestibular omission: present mainly in the elderly, rapidly improved in rehabilitation.
- Sensory conflicts: causes motion sickness, altitude dizziness, "double task" problems.
You have vertigo, what to do?
You should consult your GP and a vertigo specialist (such as an ENT or neurologist).
He will perform a solid test, which is essential for diagnosing the cause of your dizziness.
What is an ENT check-up?
This is a clinical examination of:
- The movement of your eyes,
- Evaluation of your balance,
- Evaluation of your ears,
- And ends with a neurological examination.
Depending on the result, the doctor may ask for additional tests:
- Audiometric: measures hearing.
- Vestibular: examines the functioning of the inner ear.
- Video-nystagmography: examines abnormal eye movements.
- Video-oculography: studies the central pathways of oculomotricity.
And after the assessment, what treatment?
- Drug treatment
- The doctor may prescribe different medications to relieve nausea, anxiety, or to reduce your dizziness.
- Physiotherapy vestibular rehabilitation
- Psychological support (if the dizziness is recurrent)
- Surgical treatment
An evolution in care!
Today, there is functional rehabilitation for vertigo. To offer this treatment, a physiotherapist needs to train and specialize in vestibular rehabilitation. This is a major step forward, as many of us are affected by this problem. More than one person in twenty is affected by vertigo in their lifetime, and recurrences are common. So it's not just a matter of freeing the symptoms, but also of knowing what tools to put in place if it happens again. The importance of the therapist is therefore paramount, providing care and support for a safe return to everyday life (sport, work, etc.).
Functional support!
It was in 1980 that the beginning of functional rehabilitation began. The liberating maneuver finally brings an effective solution, it relieves the patients and becomes an integral part of the proposed care. It promotes in itself the necessity of a functional rehabilitation.
In the same years, advances continued by focusing not on the technique to liberate but on the observation of the patient. Thus, the individualized therapeutic assessment was developed. This involves testing the patient in different situations and observing his or her vertiginous disorders. As these are different for each patient, their diagnosis allows the therapist to orient and target the therapy.
At the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the advancement of technology, a machine was developed that allows us to directly visualize spontaneous eye movements. This is now essential for therapeutic assessment and care. It allows us to analyze the problem in real time and to verify if the proposed care is effective.