What is Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) and what is our program at NDBC?
Vestibular rehabilitation therapy has been demonstrated to be a highly effective treatment for most individuals with vestibular or central balance system disorders. In a number of studies, customized VRT programs have been reported to be significantly more effective in resolving symptoms than generic exercises and especially medications. The basis for the success of a VRT program is the use of already existing neural mechanisms for adaptation, plasticity, and compensation in the human brain. Compensation and adaptation have been demonstrated to be closely related to the direction, duration, frequency, and magnitude of the stimulus. Specifically designed VRT exercise protocols take advantage of this plasticity of the brain to increase sensitivity and restore symmetry, which results in an improvement in vestibuloocular control, an increase in the gain of the vestibuloocular reflex (VOR), better postural strategies, and increased levels of motor control for movement.
