Vestibular neuritis is a condition affecting the inner ear balance nerve, often occurring after a viral illness. It typically causes sudden severe vertigo at the start, followed by ongoing imbalance, motion sensitivity and feeling “off” for weeks or months. Vestibular physiotherapy helps retrain the balance system, reduce dizziness, and speed recovery.
In Short:
Vestibular neuritis often begins suddenly and dramatically.
Early symptoms (acute phase):
• Severe spinning vertigo lasting hours to days
• Nausea and vomiting
• Difficulty walking
• Sensitivity to head movement
• Fatigue
The severe spinning phase usually settles within days.
Ongoing symptoms (recovery phase):
• Feeling off balance
• Motion sensitivity
• Dizziness when walking or turning
• Brain fog
• FAtigue
• Visual sensitivity (busy environments)
Many people say:
“The spinning stopped, but I still feel off.”
“I’m better, but not normal.”
“It’s been weeks and I’m still not right.”
That’s where vestibular rehab comes in.
Vestibular neuritis is thought to be caused by inflammation of the vestibular nerve, usually after a viral infection.
It affects balance signals from one inner ear, creating a mismatch between the two sides.
Unlike labyrinthitis:
• Neuritis does NOT usually cause hearing loss
• Labyrinthitis often includes hearing symptoms
If hearing loss is present, further medical review is recommended.
This is one of the most common questions.
Acute phase
• Severe vertigo: usually 1–3 days
• Gradual improvement over 1–2 weeks
Recovery phase
• Residual imbalance: weeks to months
• Motion sensitivity: common
• Fatigue: very common
Without rehab, some people compensate slowly.
With targeted vestibular rehabilitation, recovery is often faster and more complete.
Even after the acute inflammation settles, the brain needs to:
• Recalibrate balance signals
• Improve gaze stability
• Reduce motion sensitivity
• Restore walking confidence
If this process stalls, people can feel “stuck” in partial recovery.
Structured rehab helps restart that process.
Diagnosis involves:
• A detailed symptom history
• Eye movement testing
• Balance assessment
• Ruling out BPPV or other vestibular causes
We also screen for signs that require medical referral.
After the acute phase settles, the goal is to help the brain adapt to the change in balance input from the affected side.
Vestibular rehabilitation supports this natural compensation process and can help reduce lingering dizziness, imbalance and motion sensitivity.
These exercises retrain how your eyes and balance system work together during head movement.
They help:
• Reduce motion blur
• Improve head-turn tolerance
• Restore confidence when walking and scanning
We progressively challenge your balance system in a safe, structured way.
This may include:
• Static balance progression
• Walking and turning drills
• Uneven surface work
• Dual-task challenges
The aim is to restore automatic balance control.
After neuritis, many people feel worse:
• In supermarketsIn crowds
• With scrolling or screens
• When moving quickly
Avoiding these environments can slow recovery.
Instead, we introduce them gradually and strategically.
For patients struggling with visually busy or movement-heavy environments, Virtual Reality rehabilitation can be a powerful tool.
VR allows us to:
• Recreate visually complex environments in a controlled setting
• Gradually increase visual motion exposure
• Improve tolerance to movement and turning
• Rebuild confidence before returning to real-world triggers
Because VR exposure is graded and supervised, it allows the balance system to adapt without overwhelming symptoms.
This can be particularly helpful for:
• Persistent motion sensitivity
• Supermarket or crowd intolerance
• Patients who feel “almost better” but still limited
We guide your return to:
• Work
• Driving
• Exercise
• Sport
• Travel
The aim is steady improvement — not pushing through symptoms aggressively.
Many people benefit from 4–8 sessions, depending on:
• severity
• duration
• baseline fitness
• whether migraine or PPPD overlap is present
Seek urgent medical assessment if dizziness comes with:
• facial droop or weakness
• speech problems or confusion
• sudden numbness
• severe sudden headache
• chest pain, collapse or fainting
• sudden hearing loss
• new double vision
If you’re still feeling off balance weeks after a viral illness or dizzy episode, structured vestibular rehabilitation can help restore normal movement and confidence.
✅ In-person assessment
✅ Clear recovery plan
✅ Progressive rehab
✅ Confidence returning
Neuritis affects balance only. Labyrinthitis usually affects balance and hearing.
Not typically. Hearing loss suggests labyrinthitis or another cause.
It is uncommon but possible.
Fatigue is common because the brain is working harder to maintain balance.
Gentle, progressive exercise is usually helpful during recovery.
Yes — targeted rehab can accelerate compensation and reduce lingering symptoms.
Monday: 08:00 - 20:00
Tuesday: 08:00 - 20:00
Wednesday: 08:00 - 20:00
Thursday: 08:00 - 20:00
Friday: 08:00 - 16:00
