How is vertigo tested?

Along with other conditions, ENT specialists also treat patients with vertigo. For patients who present any problem with balance or instability, a dynamic posturography examination is recommended to test your balance and to detect any problems with your body’s centre of gravity.

Vertigo treatment: how does the posturography test work?

Posturography is useful for assessing patient stability, as well as detecting possible disturbances in balance or vertiginous disease. The test is also useful for those who have difficulty walking, transferring their weight from one side to another, swinging and other movements that require balance to be in good working order. Posturography can also be used in the rehabilitation of ankle, knee, hip or back conditions, when balance may be affected.

The posturography test consists of placing the patient on a platform under different conditions: standing, with eyes open, eyes closed, with platform stable or mobile. The balance evaluation tests last between 20 and 30 minutes.

 If the test is used for the treatment of vertigo, the sessions will last between 30 and 45 minutes with a recommended four bi-weekly sessions of vestibular rehabilitation is required to assess the progress in the patient.

To perform the test, the patient does not need any previous preparation; they stand barefoot on the platform of the posturograph as calmly as possible.

What is vertigo?

Vertigo is a condition of the vestibular system, which is located in the inner ear, the area that controls balance and body posture. The main symptom is the feeling of dizziness and is usually accompanied by nausea and feeling faint. It can affect all people of all ages, although in children it usually appears spontaneously and fleetingly. In adults, it can develop and persist into a chronic condition.

What are the causes of vertigo?

The causes can be inner ear infections, an issue in the nerves connecting the ear to the brain. In rare cases it can be related to a brain neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis.