Why I Chose Vestibular Rehab Therapy as a Specialty

“Before I entered physical therapy school, I honestly did not have any idea physical therapists were able to treat vertigo. At the time, I was very naive to all the different specialties that are in the physical therapy field.
I attended Northwestern University for physical therapy school and was introduced to the world of vertigo/dizziness during my 2nd year of school. A professor by the name of Dr. Tim Hain gave several lectures on vertigo and dizziness and how we as physical therapists are able to treat these unusual symptoms. Dr. Hain is a world-renowned neurologist and is commonly known as the “Dizzy Doctor.” He is a brilliant mind and has been one of the leading figures in the vestibular therapy world for several decades, so I was very fortunate to learn from him.
A few months later, I was working as a student physical therapist on my clinical rotation and one of my patients had been suffering from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) that had not allowed her to lie flat when sleeping for several years. My clinical instructor also attended Northwestern University and had several years of experience treating this condition. It took only 2 visits to completely eliminate the patient’s vertigo that she had been suffering from for several years. There are very few things in physical therapy that can be fixed that quickly. I was immediately hooked after that experience.
I went on to take several continuing education courses in vestibular therapy after graduating and I have now been treating patients with vertigo/dizziness for almost 8 years. Not every individual who has vertigo has BPPV but BPPV is the most common form of vertigo and is such a treatable condition. However, there still is not enough public awareness and education on this condition and many individuals suffer through it for several months to years.
If you or a friend has been dealing with vertigo, take the first step toward relief and come see me at our Lakeshore East location in Chicago.”
Kevin Martin, PT, DPT, Cert. DN
Specialty in Vestibular Therapy
📍 Chicago – Lakeshore East React Physical Therapy