Vestibular & Concussion Physical Therapy

Treatment for vertigo, dizziness, imbalance, and concussion recovery by licensed physical therapists

Dizziness makes ordinary things feel unsafe — rolling over in bed, driving, walking down a supermarket aisle. Vestibular physical therapy is a structured, well-studied way to retrain the balance system. At Expert Rehabilitation Group in Totowa and Nutley, we start by working out what is actually causing your symptoms, because the treatment depends entirely on the answer.

What Is Vestibular Physical Therapy?

Your balance depends on three systems working together: the inner ear, your vision, and the sensation coming from your joints and muscles. When the inner ear is damaged or sending signals that do not match what your eyes and body report, the result is vertigo, dizziness, unsteadiness, or vision that blurs when you move your head.

Vestibular rehabilitation uses specific, graded exercises to retrain that system. Depending on the diagnosis, that may mean repositioning displaced crystals inside the inner ear, driving adaptation in the reflexes that stabilize your vision, gradually desensitizing the system to provoking movement, or rebuilding balance and walking stability.

The first visit is a detailed evaluation. Positional vertigo, an inner-ear nerve injury, neck-related dizziness, and post-concussion dizziness can all feel similar to the person experiencing them, and each is treated very differently.

Conditions We Treat

We treat dizziness and balance problems including:

Not all dizziness is mechanical. If your evaluation points to a cardiac, neurological, medication-related, or ear-disease cause, we refer you back to your physician rather than continue treating. Sudden severe vertigo accompanied by double vision, slurred speech, severe headache, weakness, or numbness needs emergency medical care, not physical therapy.

Where the neck is the driver, we treat it directly — see cervical spine physical therapy.

Signs You May Need Vestibular Physical Therapy

An evaluation may help if you experience:

BPPV is worth ruling out early. It is one of the most common causes of vertigo and it often responds quickly to a specific repositioning treatment.

What to Expect During Your Vestibular Physical Therapy

Care is one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Your first visit is a full evaluation — positional testing, eye movement and gaze testing, balance and walking assessment, and a screen of the neck. Treatment is then matched to what we find:

Canalith repositioning

For BPPV, guided maneuvers such as the Epley reposition displaced crystals within the inner ear canals. This is one of the most effective treatments in the field, and many people improve substantially within one to three visits.

Gaze stabilization

Exercises that retrain the reflex keeping your vision steady while your head moves. The APTA clinical practice guideline recommends these for vestibular hypofunction, performed in short bouts several times a day over a number of weeks.

Habituation training

Controlled, repeated exposure to the specific movements and environments that provoke your symptoms, so the system gradually stops overreacting to them.

Balance and gait training

Progressive standing and walking work on varied surfaces, with and without head movement, to rebuild stability and reduce fall risk.

Home exercise program

Vestibular rehabilitation does most of its work through daily home practice. We give you a specific, manageable routine and adjust it as you progress.

Timelines vary by diagnosis. BPPV can settle in a small number of visits. Vestibular hypofunction generally takes several weeks of consistent daily exercise. Recovery after concussion varies from person to person. We re-measure your balance and symptom scores as we go rather than relying on impressions.

Concussion Rehabilitation

Concussion is a medical diagnosis, and concussion care is a team effort. The physician or provider who diagnosed you directs the overall plan and makes the return-to-work, return-to-learn, and return-to-sport decisions. Physical therapy addresses the specific physical problems that keep symptoms going. After a concussion, we commonly treat:

Current concussion guidance supports getting people moving early rather than resting in a dark room — light aerobic activity kept below the level that worsens symptoms — and supports treating the neck and vestibular system when dizziness or headache persist. We coordinate with your physician throughout. We do not clear anyone to return to sport; that decision belongs to your medical provider.

The Benefits of Vestibular Physical Therapy

The goal is to make everyday movement feel reliable again. Vestibular rehabilitation can:

Outcomes depend on the diagnosis and on consistency with the home program, which is where most of the progress comes from.

Why Choose Expert Rehabilitation Group

At Expert Rehabilitation Group, we specialize in orthopedic and spine-related physical therapy with a strong focus on patient comfort and communication.

You’ll benefit from:

We take pride in helping our patients feel noticeable improvement from the first few visits.

Patient Reviews

Hear what real patients have to say about their experience at Expert Rehabilitation Group. Our commitment to professional care and personal attention is reflected in every review we receive. See how our approach has helped people just like you get back to living life with confidence.

Proudly Serving New
Jersey Communities

Including towns such as:

Not sure if you’re nearby? Call us at (973) 221-5236. We’ll let you know how we can help.

Get Steady on Your Feet Again

Dizziness and imbalance are treatable, and the first step is finding out which system is involved. We see patients in Totowa and Nutley, and no referral is needed for an evaluation. If you were recently diagnosed with a concussion, bring your provider’s notes so we can coordinate care with them.