Question:
Several days ago, I was diagnosed with vertigo. I’ve been miserable for weeks! My doctor says that a physical therapist may be able to help treat me. What is the expected recovery time?
Answer: By Meredith Harris, PT, DPT, EdD
Recovery time varies dependent on findings from an evaluation to determine the cause of vertigo. Sometimes a simple solution can address the problem in as few as one to two visits accompanied by a home program. In other cases it takes several weeks to months to find a satisfactory solution. It is important to see a physical therapist who is familiar with vertigo assessment and intervention procedures. Find a physical therapist with experience treating vertigo.
Biographical Information
Physical therapist and American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) member Meredith H. Harris, PT, DPT, EdD, is an associate professor at Northeastern University. She recently became a Fulbright Specialist in education with a sub-specialty in public/global health. At Northeastern University, she teaches the capstone physical therapy project course to engage faculty and
students in research and community service learning to forward the goals of research in physical therapy and accomplish the mission of Bouve College and the university to address urban and global health issues. She has been active in APTA for many years, serving most recently on the ethics task force and on APTA’s awards committee. Her personal research interests are in fall prevention and the use of technology to measure balance in older adults, exercise to address health issues in childhood and adult obesity, and the use of exercise in HIV. She was a member and chair of APTA’s committee on cultural competence and was charged to address the question of health disparities in physical therapy. She is currently a member of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) subcommittee charged to review proposals in rehabilitation. She is a former member and chair of the National Center of Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) advisory board of NIH. She is also an active member of her community on Cape Cod, serving as a board member of the Thornton Burgess Society and the altar guild of St John’s Episcopal Church in Sandwich, Massachusetts.
