Authors estimate up to 15% of Americans suffer from dizziness.  There are multiple causes of dizziness and symptoms should be evaluated be a medical professional.  If left untreated dizziness can lead to falls, especially in older adults, with severe consequences.  In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly evaluate the symptoms of dizziness to determine both their source and optimal treatment plan for recovery.  A new research article documents the importance of receiving Physical Therapy quickly upon the onset of dizziness symptoms.

An article was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association to determine the impact of receiving early Physical Therapy on subsequent fall risk among patients diagnosed with dizziness (Marmor et al. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023).  Authors examined a cross section of commercial and Medicare insurance claim data from 2006 to 2015.  In total, authors reviewed the charts of 805,454 patients with a symptomatic diagnosis of either dizziness or vertigo.  Of those studied, 7% had a significant fall requiring an encounter with a medical professional within the next 12 months after their dizziness diagnosis.  Authors found receiving Physical Therapy within 3 months of initial diagnosis reduced a patient’s odds of falling by 86%.

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