Dizziness. It's a disorienting sensation ranging from a mild lightheadedness to a debilitating spinning sensation. But what if you could get a clearer picture of what's causing your dizziness from the comfort of your own home?

At Neura Health, we leverage the power of virtual neurology to provide convenient and accurate diagnoses for many dizzy disorders, including vestibular migraine.

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Diagnosing Dizzy Disorders: Beyond the Physical Exam

Traditionally, diagnosing vestibular disorders involves a physical examination with a neurologist or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist. However, the virtual world has opened new doors to accessible healthcare. 

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Here at Neura Health, we offer a virtual neurological exam that utilizes telehealth technology, so you don’t have to face overly stimulating environments that may trigger your vestibular migraine symptoms.

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During your virtual neurological exam, a headache specialist or PA or NP specializing in migraine (including vestibular migraine) will conduct a comprehensive evaluation through:

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• Detailed medical history: Discuss your symptoms, their duration, and any potential triggers.
• Video consultation: Observing your eye movements and coordination through a video call.‍
• Virtual Neurological Exam: Utilizing validated questionnaires and a virtual neurological exam to assess your dizziness severity and impact on daily life.

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You may wonder if a virtual approach is as effective as an in-person appointment; however, for a vestibular migraine patient, it has the following advantages:

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• Convenience: No need to travel for appointments. No cars. No motion sickness.
• Accessibility: Increased access to specialized care, especially for those in remote areas. And no bright, fluorescent lights. 
• Accuracy: Studies show virtual exams can be as accurate as in-person assessments.

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Treating Dizzy Disorders: Tailoring a Plan

• Medications: Preventive and acute migraine medications and treatments, as well as vestibular suppressants (when appropriate), can help reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. Treatment plans are individual to each person depending on their level of disability and comorbidities.
  
  
• Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT): VRT exercises help retrain the brain to compensate for inner ear dysfunction and improve balance while teaching you to navigate the world while dizzy. If and when considered appropriate, Neura Health would help find a vestibular rehab therapist either in your area or virtually to slowly begin therapeutic steps with you. This only would be discussed once you have adjusted to your preventive medications and are considered ready to have a productive experience. 
  
  
• Lifestyle changes: Stress management,, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, and applying other lifestyle measures (like meditation and gentle exercise) are integral to establishing structure and improving one’s trigger threshold.
  
  
• Care Coaching: Twice-monthly care coaching sessions will assist you in making lifestyle changes and developing a personalized plan for your health and wellness goals, providing support, motivation, and guidance along the way.
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• Vestibular Care Curriculum: Our vestibular care curriculum offers an in-depth education on vestibular migraine, including its definition, diagnosis, treatment options, and practical lifestyle tips.
  
  
• Occupational Therapy: Adjustments focusing how routine tasks are done or how the environment can be modified are implemented, in addition to implementing strategies on conserving energy through pacing and improving posture and body mechanics. If considered appropriate, Neura Health would help you schedule an appointment with an occupational therapist near you.

At Neura, our priority is to improve your quality of life while providing validating and supportive care. Vestibular migraine can be an incredibly overwhelming and isolating disease, and having a supportive care team can make all the difference.

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While all of our providers treat vestibular migraine, some have a special interest in vestibular migraine and vestibular disorders because they understand how life-changing a comprehensive treatment plan can be: 
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Jasmine Bhasin, PA-C

Amy Larsen, PA-C

Samantha McGill, MSN, APRN, FNP-C*

Dr Olivia Begasse de Dhaem, MD-FAHS

Dr Thomas Berk, MD-FAHS

Dr Jennifer Chima, MD*

Dr Lisa Yablon, MD

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Regardless of who you see, you will have exceptional providers who put your needs first and you will have a team doing everything they can to improve your quality of life.

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Vestibular migraine isn’t something that we just treat, several Neura Health team members live with the condition themself, so we understand how disorienting and isolating it can be. So if you have vestibular migraine, just remember: we are here for you! 

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* Samantha & Dr Chima recently joined the Neura team and we look forward to sharing their bios with you shortly!

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