Vertigo Treatment Options: Which One Is Right for You?

If you're dealing with vertigo, you've probably received a lot of conflicting advice. Maybe your doctor prescribed medication. Maybe a friend swore by a chiropractor. Maybe you've read about surgery and wondered if that's in your future.

Here's the truth: there's no single "best" vertigo treatment. The right approach depends entirely on what's causing your symptoms. But once you understand your options—and which ones actually work for different conditions—you can stop guessing and start getting better.

Let's break down the main vertigo treatment options so you can figure out which path makes sense for you.

The Four Main Vertigo Treatment Approaches

When it comes to treating vertigo, there are four main categories:

Vestibular physical therapy — Exercises and maneuvers that retrain your brain and inner ear
Medication — Pills that manage symptoms or address underlying conditions
Lifestyle modifications — Changes to diet, sleep, and stress that reduce triggers
Surgery — Procedures reserved for specific, rare conditions

Most people with vertigo need one or two of these approaches—not all four. And for the vast majority of cases, vestibular therapy is the starting point.

Vestibular Physical Therapy (The Most Common Solution)

Vestibular rehabilitation therapy, or VRT, is specialized physical therapy designed to address problems with your inner ear and balance system. It's the most common—and often most effective—treatment for vertigo.

How It Works

Your vestibular system (the balance organs in your inner ear) sends signals to your brain about where you are in space. When something goes wrong with this system, your brain gets confused. Vestibular therapy helps by:

Repositioning displaced crystals (for BPPV)
Retraining your brain to compensate for inner ear damage
Improving balance and stability through targeted exercises
Reducing sensitivity to movements that trigger symptoms

What Conditions Does It Treat?

Vestibular therapy is the go-to treatment for:

BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) — Success rates of 80-98% with repositioning maneuvers like the Epley maneuver
Vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis — Helps the brain compensate after inner ear inflammation
Post-concussion dizziness — Addresses vestibular damage from head injury
Balance disorders — Improves stability and reduces fall risk
Persistent dizziness — Even when the original cause has resolved

What to Expect

During vestibular therapy, a specialist will:

Assess your specific vestibular dysfunction
Perform diagnostic tests to identify the root cause
Create a personalized treatment plan
Guide you through exercises and maneuvers
Give you home exercises to continue progress

Most people start feeling better within a few weeks. Curious about the timeline? Here's how long vestibular therapy typically takes to work.

Medication: When It Helps (And When It Doesn't)

Medication plays a role in vertigo treatment, but it's rarely the complete solution. Understanding when drugs help—and when they might actually slow your recovery—is important.

Acute Symptom Relief

When you're in the middle of a severe vertigo attack, medication can provide short-term relief:

Vestibular suppressants (like meclizine) reduce the spinning sensation
Antiemetics help with nausea and vomiting
Anti-anxiety medications can calm the panic that often accompanies vertigo

But here's the catch: vestibular suppressants can actually delay your brain's natural ability to compensate for inner ear problems. They're meant for short-term use only—typically just a few days.

Long-Term Management

Some conditions benefit from ongoing medication:

Vestibular migraines — Preventive migraine medications can reduce episode frequency
Meniere's disease — Diuretics and dietary changes help manage fluid buildup
Anxiety-related dizziness — Sometimes anxiety and vestibular problems overlap, and addressing one helps the other

The Bottom Line on Medication

Medication can be a helpful tool, but it's rarely the whole answer. If you've been taking pills for months without improvement, it's time to explore other options.

Lifestyle Modifications and Self-Care

For some types of vertigo—especially vestibular migraines—lifestyle changes can make a significant difference.

Key Areas to Address

Hydration — Dehydration can worsen dizziness
Sleep — Poor sleep is a major trigger for vestibular symptoms
Stress management — Stress amplifies vestibular problems
Dietary triggers — Caffeine, alcohol, and certain foods can provoke episodes

Trigger Identification

If you have vestibular migraines, identifying your personal triggers is crucial. Common culprits include:

Irregular sleep schedules
Skipped meals
Weather changes
Hormonal fluctuations
Specific foods

Not sure what triggers your symptoms? Check out the 9 most common vestibular migraine triggers for a starting point.

Surgery: A Last Resort for Specific Conditions

Let's address the elephant in the room: most people with vertigo don't need surgery. It's reserved for specific conditions that don't respond to other treatments.

When Surgery Might Be Considered

Meniere's disease — When medication and lifestyle changes fail to control severe attacks
Acoustic neuroma — A benign tumor on the vestibular nerve
Superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS) — A hole in the bone covering the inner ear

Types of Surgical Procedures

Endolymphatic sac surgery — Relieves fluid pressure in Meniere's disease
Vestibular nerve section — Cuts the nerve to stop vertigo signals (drastic, but effective)
Canal plugging — Seals a problematic semicircular canal

Surgery is effective for the right candidates, but it's never the first option. If someone suggests surgery before you've tried vestibular therapy, get a second opinion.

How to Choose the Right Treatment

With all these options, how do you know where to start? Here's a practical framework:

Step 1: Get a Proper Diagnosis

This is the most important step. Different types of vertigo require different treatments. BPPV needs repositioning maneuvers. Vestibular migraines need trigger management. Post-concussion dizziness needs rehabilitation.

Without knowing what is causing your vertigo, you're just guessing at treatment.

Step 2: Start with Vestibular Therapy

For most vestibular conditions, specialized physical therapy is the first-line treatment. It's non-invasive, highly effective, and addresses the root cause rather than just masking symptoms.

If you're in the Indianapolis area schedule a free consultation with us.

Step 3: Add Other Treatments as Needed

Based on your diagnosis and response to therapy, your provider might recommend:

Medication for symptom management or prevention
Lifestyle modifications for trigger-based conditions
Referral to a specialist for complex cases

What If You've Been Told "Just Live With It"?

If a doctor has told you there's nothing to be done for your vertigo, please hear this: that's rarely true.

Many healthcare providers aren't trained in vestibular disorders. They may not know about the specialized treatments that exist. So when tests come back "normal," they assume nothing can be done.

But normal test results don't mean you're out of options. They just mean certain conditions have been ruled out. A vestibular specialist can dig deeper and find answers that generalists miss.

You don't have to just live with it. If you've been dismissed or told to wait it out, here's what you need to know.

Finding the Right Path Forward

Here's the hopeful truth: most vertigo is treatable. The spinning, the nausea, the fear of moving—these don't have to be your forever.

The key is matching the right treatment to your specific condition. For most people, that starts with a proper evaluation by someone who specializes in vestibular disorders.

If you're tired of guessing and ready for answers, we're here to help. Schedule a free discovery call to discuss your symptoms and explore your treatment options. Because you deserve to feel steady again.