By Nour Salman | Physiotherapist at KINETIKA Physiotherapy Dubai
A common and frustrating question from people with ongoing dizziness is:
“All my tests are normal, so why am I still dizzy?”
In most cases, these “normal tests” refer to MRIs, CT scans, or blood work. While useful for ruling out serious conditions, they’re not designed to evaluate the vestibular system in detail.
Many vestibular disorders, like PPPD, vestibular migraine, or chronic vestibular hypofunction, are functional in nature. They involve how the brain interprets signals from the inner ear, eyes, and body, rather than something visible on a scan.
That’s why choosing the right diagnostic pathway is essential.
Persistent dizziness should be assessed through a comprehensive vestibular evaluation, a series of functional tests that examine key systems involved in balance. This includes assessing:
- Vestibulo-ocular reflexes
- Oculomotor function and gaze stability
- Balance and positional responses
- And how the brain processes motion and visual input
The exact test battery depends on the person’s history and symptoms, but when performed properly, it can reveal subtle dysfunctions that imaging alone cannot detect. So if your tests were “normal” but you’re still experiencing dizziness, it may simply mean the right tests haven’t been done yet. The path to recovery starts with the right evaluation.
