Vertigo and Dizziness Physio in Logan QLD: What to Expect
The short answer: Most spinning vertigo is BPPV — loose crystals in the inner ear — and it usually settles in one to three appointments with a repositioning manoeuvre. It is one of the few things in physiotherapy that can genuinely be fixed on the spot.
- If the room spins when you roll over in bed, that pattern points strongly to BPPV.
- The Epley manoeuvre ranks first for it in a 2026 review of 20 trials.
- Most people need one to three visits — not a long course of treatment.
- Constant fogginess is different and needs a different approach, which also works.
People usually describe it the same way. They rolled over in bed, or tipped their head back at the hairdresser, and the room lurched. It lasted under a minute, it was frightening, and it came back the next morning.
What is actually happening?
Your inner ear contains tiny calcium crystals that help you sense movement. Sometimes they come loose and drift into one of the balance canals, where they do not belong. Every time you move your head that way, they slosh — and your brain reads it as violent spinning.
That is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. Benign because it is not dangerous. Positional because head position triggers it. It is the single most common cause of vertigo we see.
How is it diagnosed?
With a positional test, usually the Dix–Hallpike. We move your head into the position that provokes symptoms and watch your eyes. The pattern of eye movement tells us which ear and which canal.
Why we watch your eyes: the eye movement is involuntary and canal-specific. It is the difference between treating the right canal and guessing.
What does treatment involve?
A repositioning manoeuvre — a sequence of head positions that walks the crystals back where they belong. A 2026 network meta-analysis of 20 randomised trials covering 2,089 patients ranked the Epley manoeuvre first, with Epley and Semont recommended as first-line.
It can feel unpleasant for around thirty seconds while the crystals move. Then it usually stops. Some people are clear after one visit; most need one to three.
Will it come back?
Sometimes. A 2025 meta-analysis found recurrence more likely with older age, previous head trauma and low bone density. That is not a reason to avoid treatment — it is a reason to know the signs, so you come back early rather than living with it for months.
What if it is not spinning, but constant fogginess?
Different problem, and worth naming because people often assume nothing can be done. Persistent dizziness with unsteadiness and visual sensitivity — often worse in supermarkets or busy places — may be PPPD, where the balance system stays on high alert after the original trigger has resolved.
This one responds to training, not a manoeuvre. A 2025 meta-analysis of vestibular rehabilitation for PPPD found meaningful improvement, averaging around 22 points on the Dizziness Handicap Inventory. It takes weeks of graded exercise rather than a single appointment, but it works.
When should I see a doctor instead?
Go to a doctor or emergency department, not a physiotherapist, if dizziness comes with sudden severe headache, double vision, slurred speech, weakness or numbness on one side, or new hearing loss. Also see your GP if it follows a head injury. These need medical assessment first.
Where to get it looked at in Logan
Daisy Hill Physio is at U4 11–13 Allamanda Dr, Daisy Hill QLD 4127, in Logan, Queensland — south of Brisbane, not Logan in Utah — and we have been here since 1987. Ben Birchall leads our vestibular work.
You can book an appointment online or call 07 3209 2000. Bring someone who can drive you if the spinning is active. More detail on our vestibular physiotherapy page and our BPPV treatment guide, and general information on our Logan physiotherapy page.
If you hold a DVA Gold or White Card, this is covered — see our DVA page. If a chronic condition is involved, your GP may be able to refer you under a care plan; see what Medicare covers.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Vertigo has several causes and some need medical rather than physiotherapy assessment — if you are unsure, start with your GP.
Reviewed by Ben Birchall, Physiotherapist at Daisy Hill Physio — vestibular and TMJ lead. Reviewed 14 August 2026.
Sources: Frontiers in Neurology 2026, network meta-analysis of 20 randomised controlled trials (2,089 patients) ranking repositioning manoeuvres for posterior canal BPPV. European Journal of Medical Research 2025, meta-analysis of BPPV recurrence risk factors. Frontiers in Neurology 2025, meta-analysis of vestibular rehabilitation for persistent postural-perceptual dizziness.
