Always Ready. Always Safe. Learn More About Our Health and Safety Protocols.corona close
Skip to main content
Back to all

Finding Relief from Vertigo after Five Years: Denise’s Success Story

June 7, 2023 | Patient Success Stories
Share
Tweet
Share

By, Allison R. Weder

“You get part of your life back where you can be more confident and comfortable.” – Denise, Phoenix PT Patient

Denise Harshberger lived with balance issues for five years. After seeing several doctors, she was prescribed medication and told to be careful while walking. Despite being cautious, Denise would still fall regularly. “I had serious falls at least twice every six months. I had bruises. I hurt my back and ended up in the hospital. I would fall and I couldn’t get back up. I ended up with a walker.” Denise was in pain physically and she also struggled mentally. “This was affecting my life dramatically. I went from playing basketball and dancing with my children, and then everything ceased. You start losing yourself. It’s not losing control, it’s one thing to start losing control when certain things happen in your life, but when you just feel lost, there’s nothing you can do. I started staying at home.” Denise had gone into a depression.

Denise’s health issues left her searching for answers from a variety of different doctors. Eventually, an ear, nose and throat specialist determined she may have vertigo due to tiny calcium carbonate crystals coming loose from their normal location in the inner ear. The symptoms include the sudden sensation that you are spinning or that the inside of your head is spinning. Denise was shocked. “I looked at him like he was crazy. I had never heard of this in my life. I’ve been educated on many different things, but I had not heard about this one.” Thankfully, Denise’s doctor was knowledgeable about how a Physical Therapist can help people suffering from this type of vertigo. Denise was hopeful, but still unsure how it could work. “I was beyond skeptical about physical therapy helping my vertigo. I thought this is a crazy idea, but I also thought, it can’t hurt. I decided to go.”

Denise chose the Phoenix Physical Therapy Bellwood clinic in Altoona, Pennsylvania for her treatment. Clinic Director, Lori Seiler, PT, MPT evaluated Denise on her first day. She remembers learning about her years-long struggle. “I evaluated Denise after about 5 years of dizziness and fear of falling, during that time she had many other medical issues and I believe they took the front seat when seeing her doctors. All she wanted was to be able to walk better when I evaluated her. Initially, she was seen for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, which resolved in a few treatments.” Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or BPPV is one of the most common causes of vertigo. Lori used what is called an Epley maneuver to treat Denise’s BPPV. The maneuver is a noninvasive approach that involves a series of head movements that help place the calcium carbonate crystals back into the right location. Denise was scared, but Lori put her mind at ease. “Lori talked to me about it. She did an examination and explained things very thoroughly to where I understood. I still looked at her like she was crazy. She said you have to trust me.” The maneuver worked. Denise’s BPPV was gone.

The next step was to work on Denise’s balance and strength that had suffered because of the vertigo. The hard work began right away but Denise felt comfortable and in control. “I go as fast as I want to. If one thing goes fast and another part is going slow, that’s fine. I’m in control. That’s important to me. The therapist is there to guide me and help me along the way and that means a lot. I’ve been out of control for a long time, and that’s the reason why I agreed to do this.” The exercises Lori included in Denise’s unique program, built just for her, progressed from easier to difficult. “We did some visual, A to B exercises. You look from point A to point B first from a stationary position, then while standing on a foam piece that is unstable, then you progress to walking and moving your head. I would stand on one leg with my eyes open and then closed. I had to really focus on my balance.”

Lori worked with Denise for several weeks to reach her goals. “After about a month and half of vestibular therapy she has had a significant improvement in her balance, has minimal to no complaints of dizziness. She is very happy with her progress and I’m happy we were able to help her with what she needed and wanted help with.” Denise is thrilled with her new-found confidence. “I can walk! I’m not worried about falling. I can drive with no problem. I go to the grocery store or wherever I want and don’t think anything of looking from the top to the bottom of a shelf. I don’t worry about getting dizzy. It’s a big deal, a big relief. I’m very grateful that I can do things and think nothing of it.”

While Denise is back to enjoying life again, she hopes her story will help educate people about the benefits of physical therapy for vertigo and balance issues. “I think doctors should be educated as well. I think they need understand so others won’t suffer as long as I did.” And Denise has this advice for those who are skeptical like she was. “Try it! I would strongly suggest that someone who was in my position to try it. Otherwise, you are going to lose control and it’s just going to get worse.”

Denise is happy she chose Phoenix Physical Therapy to be part of her healthcare team. She knows if she has another issue, she can count on Lori to help. “Lori will always have a special place in my heart because she changed my life in a way I don’t think she will ever understand. She gave a part of my life back to where I’m able to do things. She’s a wonderful person and she treats every single person the same. She’s meant to do what she’s doing.” And Denise is quick to point out the entire Bellwood team works together to make the entire therapy experience a positive one. “The staff there just makes it comfortable. They are all special. They all work hand-in-hand. They all treat you like you are person, not a number, not a paycheck. That is very important. It means a lot and you don’t realize it, but it does. You can feel it. They laugh, they recognize you, they ask how you are doing and that means a lot.”

The entire Phoenix Physical Therapy Team is committed to providing our patients with quality physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in a safe and healthy clinic environment. We continue to follow the guidance provided by the CDC, WHO and public health officials to update you as new information becomes available. Let’s work together to keep each other safe and healthy.

The safety of our patients, communities and team members remains our top priority. We know you have a choice in your care providers and appreciate your commitment to Phoenix and our qualified clinicians.

Here are the actions we have taken to keep our patients, communities and team healthy & safe:

  • Flexible scheduling allows for social distancing
  • Regular cleaning and sanitation of all clinic surfaces
  • Facemasks must be worn by all Phoenix staff and are recommended for all patients
  • Screening questionnaire and temperature checks prior to entering clinics
  • 6 feet of social distancing throughout the clinics

Keeping Our Clinics Safe

Here are some tips on how we can keep each other safe:

  • Handwashing is your best self-defense against the spread of germs. When soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, use at least a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Please stay home if you are not feeling well, especially if you have a fever, are coughing or sneezing, or are experiencing shortness of breath. If a patient shows up with symptoms, the clinic team will work with them to reschedule.
  • Be vigilant. If you have traveled to any of the countries where there are outbreaks of the virus, please follow guidance from the CDC website and our Travel Guidelines.

Here are actions we are taking to keep our clinics clean and safe:

  • Equipment will be wiped down after EVERY use with antibacterial wipes/sprays
  • All surfaces that patients or staff may touch including door handles, countertops, seating, pens at sign-in, bathroom and all other common areas will be disinfected regularly
  • Treatment tables will be 6 feet apart
  • Team members will wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, particularly after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezin
  • Clinics will have hand sanitizer available at the front desk and in the treatment areas
  • Any Phoenix team members who are ill will be asked to stay home
  • We will maintain social distancing between patients in the clinic
  • Caregivers that are bringing a patient to the clinic should wait in their car or come back when the appointment has ended unless necessary (i.e. minor requiring a guardian or for assistance needs)
  • When possible, we will treat patients in private rooms to increase social distancing
  • Any patients that have underlying health issues (i.e. diabetes, respiratory problems, etc.) will be given the option to be seen during special clinic hours or can opt to be treated in a private room away from other clinicians and patients
  • All patients should be self-screening before entering the clinic. Our PCCs will perform a secondary screening during the check-in process and before patients enter the clinic including a screening questionnaire and temperature check.
×