Course Description:

This two-day, interactive course will focus on the evaluation and treatment of vestibular impairments in the physical therapy setting. The purpose of this course will be to advance the understanding of current research in vestibular rehabilitation for both peripheral and central pathologies including screening techniques to identify emergent conditions and need for referral, differential diagnosis, treatment progression and prognosis for individual conditions. The course will focus on the most common causes of dizziness including but not limited to: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, unilateral and bilateral vestibular hypofunction, concussion, and other central pathologies. A combination of interactive lecture, small group case study, and lab skills will ultimately lead to well informed care and enhanced clinical patient outcomes. Lectures will include review of relevant anatomy, physiology, differential diagnosis, clinical practice patterns, discussion of clinical decision making, and real-world case examples. Lab will center around small group case study with demonstration of appropriate clinical exams, screening techniques, treatment techniques, exercise progression, hands-on cuing and motor learning techniques, and patient education strategies as substantiated in current literature with instructor feedback.