Hi Rod,
Thank you for your question. Yes, dizziness can happen after a stroke. It can be quite challenging. The good thing is that there are treatment options available.
Talk with your GP about your dizziness and the other medical concerns you have. They can make sure that your dizziness is due to your stroke, and not caused by any other medical issue or medication. It is good that you have ruled out any neck related injuries.
You can read about dizziness and stroke in this blog.
A vestibular physiotherapist can help with treatment for dizziness. A vestibular physiotherapist has special training in identifying dizziness and other balance-related problems caused by stroke. They can work with you to design an individualised rehabilitation program to reduce your dizziness and improve your balance.
Ask your GP for chronic conditions care plan for Medicare subsidized sessions with a private vestibular physiotherapist.
Your GP may know a vestibular physiotherapist they can refer you too. Otherwise, you can find private vestibular physiotherapists near you through the link here. When searching, specify their clinical area as neurology. Once you have a list of potential physiotherapists, check each of their websites. Make sure they treat vestibular physiotherapy. This is a specialised area so you need someone with the right knowledge and experience.
Once you’ve found a physiotherapist, ask your GP to send them some background medical information, as this can be helpful to the physiotherapist.
If you need help finding a vestibular physiotherapist, get in touch with us at StrokeLine (details below) and we can find some options for you.
It would be good to talk with your GP about your hip. Perhaps your near falls and walking has been affected by both your dizziness and your hip. Your GP may recommend you see an orthopaedic specialist if you have had your hip replaced. You could also get referrals to other specialists like a neuro-ophthalmologist for your vision.
I am the StrokeLine physiotherapist, so would be very happy to talk to you about all this. You can call us on 1800 787 653 or email us on strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au. We are available Monday- Friday 9am to 5pm AEST.
With kind regards,
Kath, StrokeLine
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