Stephen Piccarella at n+1:
THE PURPOSE OF VESTIBULAR THERAPY is to induce symptoms of dizziness so that the brain becomes accustomed to accommodating them until they subside or are no longer noticeable. It’s a kind of physical therapy designed to train and improve the functioning of the vestibular system —the inner ear—which determines a body’s balance and stable position in space. Dysfunction of the vestibular system can result in a range of complications, from vertigo to ataxia to double vision. I’m currently receiving treatment for convergence insufficiency, a slight misalignment or tendency to turn outward of one eye (my left), and Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness, a chronic “non-spinning” dizziness that causes disorientation and foggy thinking without necessarily impeding physical balance. My symptoms are constant, but interfere mostly with visual processing—usually when I’m reading, particularly on a screen, or when I’m in a busy public place.
Eliciting these diagnoses turned out to be far from easy. That surprised me, but not anyone I know who deals with doctors on a regular basis.
more here.