In this episode of the Making Vestibular Visible podcast we talk about blast wave injuries, and the vestibular injury that results from near- or far- exposure to explosives. Whether due to an isolated act of terrorism or an ongoing regional conflict, the impact of explosives is severe. It's estimated that 1 in 8 people globally have been exposed to conflict in 2024. This includes those living within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of violent events, such as bombings and explosions. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is one of the places where soldiers and civilians experience war-related injuries.

Speaker: ​Dr. Konstantin Trinus is a distinguished medical professional from Kyiv, Ukraine specializing in neuro-otology. He graduated with honors from Kyiv Medical Institute and earned his PhD focusing on human and animal physiology. He has a Doctor of Medicine degree in neurology, with a dissertation on vestibular disturbances as early indicators of neurological deficits in individuals exposed to ionizing radiation from the Chornobyl catastrophe. Dr. Trinus has held various research and academic positions and has lectured internationally, authored numerous scientific publications, and received several awards, such as the Tsiolkovsky Medal and the Claussen-Tato Prize in 2018 for his significant contributions to neuro-otology. ​

Dr. Trinus has conducted extensive research into the vestibular consequences of blast wave injuries, particularly among participants of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in Ukraine. His studies have identified a significant prevalence of vestibular disturbances in individuals exposed to blast trauma, including symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, kinetosis, and orthostatic discomfort. For instance, his research revealed that 70.77% of ATO participants reported dizziness, and 26.15% experienced objective vertigo, indicating a strong correlation between blast exposure and vestibular dysfunction. His work emphasizes the need for comprehensive vestibular assessment and targeted rehabilitation strategies for individuals affected by blast-induced mild traumatic brain injuries. ​

In this episode we are going to discuss the remote treatment of dizziness and imbalance using a novel virtual platform called Vertigenius, a comprehensive and personalized approach to vestibular rehabilitation that empowers patients to effectively engage with their prescribed exercises.

Speaker bio: Dr. Dara Meldrum is a vestibular physiotherapist with over 25 years of clinical and research experience. She has published 53 journal articles and 100 conference abstracts. Her doctoral research centered on the integration of technology in balance and dizziness rehabilitation, which led her to found VERTIGENIUS, an online, comprehensive and personalized approach to vestibular rehabilitation. Welcome, Dr. Meldrum.

Three years ago Dr. Bell presented a webinar for VeDA on navigating the healthcare system, and since then she’s been working tirelessly to write a book for people suffering with dizziness or vertigo who are seeking relief through healthcare and who are unable to work with her in person.

Dr. Bell’s goal in writing this book is to share what she has learned in more than twenty years of clinical practice, and to offer a guide for patients navigating the healthcare system to find answers and relief from dizziness and vertigo.

Her book "Navigating the Health Care System as a Dizzy Patient", is now available for purchase on Amazon.

Dr. Kim Bell is a San Diego, California based Doctor of Physical Therapy with clinical expertise in vestibular assessment and rehabilitation for relief of dizziness, falls, vertigo, and imbalance. After suffering with dizziness and vertigo herself for over 25 years, she has realized how limited the resources are for people with these problems.

Dr. Bell has dedicated her career to developing a comprehensive approach, called The Bell Method®, for assessing and treating dizziness, vertigo, balance problems, and unexplained falls. Her care is powered by evidence and driven by empathy.

The Bell Method® integrates multi-system root cause analysis, advanced knowledge of vestibular rehabilitation, evidence-based geriatric fall prevention strategies, and compassionate communication. She is devoted to resolving the most complex and difficult cases of patients with dizziness, vertigo and imbalance.

This podcast brings to light the revolutionary science of fixational eye movements and how they play a critical role in stabilizing vision during head movements, influencing balance, and maintaining clear vision. We will be introduced to a novel retinal-based eye tracking technology that has unlocked the ability to see the unseen eye movements underlying many patients who have "normal" examinations using pupil-tracking devices, and why using different ocular structures for eye-tracking may elicit different results. The discussion will highlight how small deficits in oculomotor control, such as impaired fixational stability, can exacerbate vestibular dysfunction and may affect rehabilitation outcomes in vision and vestibular therapy, as well as highlight neurologic conditions that may be impacted by fixational eye movements.

Speaker: Dr. Jacqueline Theis is the Chief Medical Officer of C. Light Technologies as well as a practicing optometrist, clinical researcher, international lecturer and author. She received her doctoral and post-doctoral residency training in Neuro-Optometry and Binocular Vision disorders from the University of California at Berkeley School of Optometry. Dr. Theis has extensive clinical experience in post-traumatic brain injury and neurologic visual dysfunctions, including vestibular dysfunctions that affect vision and neurologic disease.

Have you ever wondered this during a visit to a healthcare provider? This feeling hardly leaves you enthusiastic about following their recommendations, does it? Fortunately, many healthcare providers are adding “Certified Health Coach” to their credentials through a program teaching licensed professionals how to “alter their traditional patient engagement approach through evidence-based conversation strategies.” In this recorded live event, Melinda Huffman, BSN, MSN, CCNS, CHC joins us from NSHC to educate vestibular warriors and those that care for them about Health Coaches and how this training teaches providers to partner with the patient and engage in a new way leading to more positive experiences and better outcomes.

www.nshcoa.com

VeDA relies on your support to help vestibular patients on their journey to find a life rebalanced. You can make a real difference by making a donation at https://vestibular.org/donate/

If you are experiencing vertigo, tinnitus, dizziness, imbalance, brain fog, or other balance related symptoms, VeDA may be able to help. To learn more about vestibular conditions and get help finding a diagnosis, treatment, coping tools, and support visit https://vestibular.org/

For help finding a vestibular healthcare provider visit https://vestibular.org/healthcare-directory/

If you are a vestibular healthcare professional and want to reach more patients, join VeDA's Healthcare Provider Directory by becoming a member at https://vestibular.org/article/resources-for-professionals/professional-membership/. Additional benefits include patient education articles you can brand with your logo.

#LifeRebalanced #MakeVestibularVisible #Vertigo #Vestibular #Tinnitus #Dizzy #Balance

Can virtual reality help with vestibular healthcare? In this recorded live interview host Kathleen Stross, DPT interviewed researcher Geoff Wright and physical therapists, Bridgett Wallace and Ramiro Maldonado, about their new affordable, ultra-portable, scientifically validated Virtual Reality solution for assessing fall risk, identifying causes and shaping treatments.

Geoffrey Wright, PhD: Dr. Wright's background is in neuroscience, engineering, and rehabilitation science. He has been educating and mentoring students in the PT program and masters and PhD students in various STEM programs at Temple University since 2007. In addition to being the inventor and co-founder behind UprightVR, he is Vice President of the International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation and on the board of directors of the International Society for Gait and Posture Research. His current focus is on using portable VR technology to assess and rehabilitate individuals at heightened fall risk.

Bridgett Wallace, DPT: Bridgett Wallace has a Doctorate of Physical Therapy and holds competency-based certifications in vestibular rehabilitation and concussion management. She is the founder of 360 Balance & Dizziness and co-founder of 360 Neuro Health Institute. Bridgett consults and lectures both nationwide and internationally in concussion management and vestibular disorders.

Ramiro Maldonado, PT, DPT: Dr. Maldonado is a graduate of the MGH Institute with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. With a career spanning over 15 years as a clinician, Ramiro has specialized in vestibular therapy, distinguishing himself as an expert in the field. His professional journey has been marked by a keen interest in the integration of rehabilitation technology. Ramiro's expertise encompasses a broad spectrum of innovative solutions, including robotic rehabilitation, body weight support systems, and AI-enabled devices designed for fall prevention. Currently, he is the Director of Business Development of UprightVR.

This is event is brought to you by UprightVR

Website: https://uprightvr.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069117167508
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uprightvr/

Firebush, Inc. is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 2017 with a mission to give back to the community through funding that allows health and fitness professionals to provide safe, high-quality health and fitness classes at no charge to the elderly or anyone with mobility challenges. In this recorded live event on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn with founder Gloria Harris to talk about these free classes and how they can help people with dizziness and imbalance.

Learn more at https://firebush.org/

VeDA relies on your support to help vestibular patients on their journey to find a life rebalanced. You can make a real difference by making a donation at https://vestibular.org/donate/

If you are experiencing vertigo, tinnitus, dizziness, imbalance, brain fog, or other balance-related symptoms, VeDA may be able to help. To learn more about vestibular conditions and get help finding a diagnosis, treatment, coping tools, and support visit https://vestibular.org/

For help finding a vestibular healthcare provider visit https://vestibular.org/healthcare-directory/

If you are a vestibular healthcare professional and want to reach more patients, join VeDA's Healthcare Provider Directory by becoming a member at https://vestibular.org/article/resources-for-professionals/professional-membership/. Additional benefits include patient education articles you can brand with your logo.

#LifeRebalanced #MakeVestibularVisible #Vertigo #Vestibular #Tinnitus #Dizzy #Balance

Learn more at https://vestibular.org/balancebelt-information-request/

The BalanceBelt is a smart belt that helps you to improve your balance during walking and standing. The BalanceBelt contains several tiny vibration motors. When the BalanceBelt senses that you are starting to lose balance, it will vibrate in the direction of your imbalance. Your brain will learn to compensate your body based on these tiny vibrations. The result: if you have severe balance problems, the BalanceBelt enables you to move freely again and look around you, without relying on walking aids. Professor Herman Kingma, who helped develop the BalanceBelt, explains its technology and application.

Note: The BalanceBelt is currently only available in the EU.

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VeDA relies on your support to help vestibular patients on their journey to find a life rebalanced. You can make a real difference by making a donation at https://vestibular.org/donate/

If you are experiencing vertigo, tinnitus, dizziness, imbalance, brain fog, or other balance-related symptoms, VeDA may be able to help. To learn more about vestibular conditions and get help finding a diagnosis, treatment, coping tools, and support visit https://vestibular.org/

For help finding a vestibular healthcare provider visit https://vestibular.org/healthcare-directory/

If you are a vestibular healthcare professional and want to reach more patients, join VeDA's Healthcare Provider Directory by becoming a member at https://vestibular.org/article/resources-for-professionals/professional-membership/. Additional benefits include patient education articles you can brand with your logo.

#VestibularHealth #Audiology #Dizziness #BalanceAwareness #AskTheExpert #VeDA