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Conditions We Treat  /  Vertigo & Dizziness

Dizziness & Balance

Vertigo and Dizziness (BPPV) Treatment in Bakersfield

If the room spins for a few seconds when you roll over in bed, lie down or look up, you may have BPPV, the most common cause of vertigo. It's usually very treatable with physical therapy, often in just a few visits.

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Yes, physical therapy can treat vertigo caused by BPPV. BPPV happens when tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear drift into the wrong place, so certain head movements set off a brief, intense spinning feeling. The clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery recommends repositioning maneuvers, such as the Epley maneuver, to move the crystals back. A trained physical therapist can find which ear and which canal is involved and treat it, and many people feel much better within one to three treatments.

Does this sound like you?

✓The room spins when you roll over in bed or lie down
✓Looking up to a high shelf or tipping your head back sets it off
✓Bending over or getting out of bed makes you dizzy
✓The spinning lasts seconds, usually under a minute
✓You feel nauseated or off-balance for a while afterward
✓You've started sleeping propped up or avoiding certain positions

Not all dizziness is BPPV

“Dizzy” can mean spinning, lightheadedness, feeling faint, or feeling unsteady on your feet, and each has different causes. BPPV is the classic brief spinning set off by a change in head position. Other inner-ear problems, such as vestibular neuritis, can leave you with lingering dizziness and poor balance, and these often improve with vestibular rehabilitation: specific exercises that help your brain and balance system adapt. Your evaluation sorts out which type you have, and if something else seems to be going on, we'll tell you and point you to the right doctor.

What treatment at ARI looks like

1
A one-on-one evaluation

Your first visit takes about 45 to 60 minutes. We ask exactly when the dizziness happens, then use positional tests while watching your eye movements, which shows whether BPPV is the cause and which ear is involved. The tests can briefly bring on the spinning; your therapist stays right with you.

2
Repositioning treatment

If it's BPPV, your therapist guides your head and body through a series of positions to move the crystals back where they belong. The maneuver depends on which canal is affected, which is why the testing matters.

3
Balance and follow-up

We recheck at the next visit and repeat the maneuver if needed. If you're still unsteady, we add balance and vestibular exercises, plus a simple home program.

No referral needed to start. In California, you can see a physical therapist directly for up to 12 visits or 45 days, whichever comes first. Some insurance plans still require a referral for coverage; call us at (661) 282-8584 and we'll help you check.

When dizziness is an emergency

Call 911 if dizziness comes on suddenly together with any of these, because they can be signs of a stroke:

  • A sudden, severe headache unlike your usual headaches
  • Double vision or loss of vision
  • Slurred speech or trouble understanding speech
  • Drooping of one side of the face
  • Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, especially on one side
  • Trouble walking or sudden loss of coordination

See a doctor promptly if dizziness comes with fainting, chest pain or a racing heartbeat, sudden hearing loss, or if it's constant rather than set off by movement.

Why patients choose ARI

Care at ARI is always one-on-one and in person with a licensed physical therapist at our Bakersfield clinic: 8200 Stockdale Hwy, Suite B2, in the Town & Country Village center next to Trader Joe's. We accept most private insurance plans and Medicare, and we have staff who speak Spanish and Hindi.

Vertigo FAQs

For BPPV, often yes. BPPV is caused by inner-ear crystals out of place, and repositioning maneuvers performed by a trained physical therapist move them back. Many people feel much better within one to three treatments.
The Epley maneuver is one of the repositioning treatments. It only works for BPPV in one particular canal, on the correct side. An evaluation identifies which ear and which canal is involved, so the right maneuver is used.
It can, briefly. The testing and the maneuver may bring on the spinning for a few seconds, which is expected. Your therapist stays with you and moves at your pace.
No. In California you can see a physical therapist directly for up to 12 visits or 45 days, whichever comes first. Some insurance plans still require a referral for coverage, so call us at (661) 282-8584 and we'll help you check.
BPPV can return, sometimes months or years later. The good news is that it usually responds to the same treatment again, and your therapist can show you what to watch for.

Common questions

Ready to feel better?

Talk to a licensed physical therapist at ARI, one-on-one. Request an evaluation and we'll get back to you, usually within one business day.

Request an EvaluationCall (661) 282-8584

Sources

  1. Clinical Practice Guideline: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (Update). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation clinical practice guideline), 2017.
  2. Benign positional vertigo. MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
  3. Balance Disorders. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), NIH.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you have symptoms, a licensed clinician should evaluate you.

Clinically reviewed by Deepa Konnur, PT, MPT, OCS, board-certified Orthopedic Certified Specialist · Reviewed September 2026