ACTIVECARE PHYSICAL THERAPY ®

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Traveler’s Vestibular Physical Therapy

ActiveCare Clinical Director Karena Wu has advanced training in Vestibular Rehabilitation. She teams up with Dr. Ronald Primas, an internist who offers travel and emergency care 24 hours a day. Dr. Primas is often called to hotels for travelers who are afflicted with a condition called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. The symptoms of this are repeated episodes of positional vertigo, the spinning sensation caused by changes in the position of the head (the definition of vertigo is a subtype of dizziness causing a feeling of constant motion when one is actually stationary.) It’s usually caused by dysfunction of the inner ear vestibular system when crystals in the ear canals are displaced. The vestibular system is one of three systems in the body responsible for balance; the other two are the visual and the somatosensory. This asymmetrical dysfunction causes dizziness, nausea and vomiting, as well as balance issues.

Karena is called upon by Dr. Primas to treat patients with these inner ear problems. Treatments are done at the office of ActiveCare Physical Therapy, but most often in-home visits are required secondary to the severity of symptoms. Medication is typically given by Dr. Primas for motion sickness during his visit. Karena then applies a physical maneuver which is required to reduce the vertigo and return the crystals into the appropriate position. The maneuvers are specific to the structure in the inner ear most affected. The two therapies work in conjunction with one another and typically reduce the symptoms quickly and efficiently.

Travelers who experience these symptoms can reach us directly. For further information on Dr. Ronald Primas, please go to www.travelmd.com or call (212) 737-1212.


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