Vestibular Exercise Program to Overcome Dizziness - Ent East Division
Aims of Exercise:
  1. To practice movements which cause dizziness, and thus gradually overcome the disability.
  2. To practice balancing in everyday situations with special attention to developing the use of the eyes and muscle senses.
  3. To loosen up the muscles of the neck and shoulders, to overcome the protective muscular spasm and tendency to move “in one piece”.
  4. To encourage the restoration of self-confidence and easy spontaneous movement.
Note: Exercises often make dizziness worse in the beginning before it gets better

All exercises are started in exaggerated slow time and gradually progress to more rapid time. The rate of progression from sitting to standing exercises depends upon the dizziness in each individual case. Perform these exercises at least twice daily; you may omit the exercises which do NOT cause dizziness, but REPEAT EACH OF THE EXERCISES WHICH CAUSE YOU TO BE THE DIZZIEST!
  1. SITTING POSITION – without arm rests
    1. Eye exercises – at first slow, then quick, 20 times
      1. Up and down
      2. Side to side
      3. Repeat a. and b., focusing on finger at arm’s length
    2. Head exercises – at first slow, then quick, 20 times (see i. and ii. above)
    3. Shrug shoulders and rotate, 20 times
    4. Bend forward and pick up objects from the ground, 20 times
    5. Rotate head and shoulders slowly, then fast, 20 times
    6. Rotate head, shoulders and trunk with eyes open, then closed, 20 times

  2. STANDING
    1. Repeat a. above
    2. Repeat b. above
    3. Repeat c. above
    4. Change from a sitting to standing position, with eyes open, then shut, 10 times
    5. Throw ball from hand to hand (above eye level), 10 times
    6. Change from sitting to standing and turn around in between, 10 times
    7. Repeat f. above

  3. WALKING
    1. Walk across room with eyes open, then closed, 10 times
    2. Walk up and down slope with eyes open, then closed, 10 times
    3. Do any games involving stooping, or stretching and aiming, such as bowling, shuffleboard, etc.
    4. Stand on one foot with eyes open, then closed
    5. Walk with one foot in front of the other with eyes open, then closed