Sorting Out Dizziness: A Deep Dive into Differential Diagnosis

Finding the right provider for dizziness can be a long and frustrating process. In this episode of Talk Dizzy To Me, we welcome back Patrick Esmonde to introduce Dizzy Care Network, a platform designed to help connect people experiencing dizziness with clinicians who are best suited to evaluate their symptoms. We explore how the platform works for both patients and providers, the technology and clinical reasoning behind its matching process, and how it could help reduce the time spent searching for answers. We also discuss what Patrick and his team have learned so far and their vision for the future of more accessible, efficient, and individualized vestibular care.

In this special episode of Talk Dizzy to Me, we’re joined by members of the Dizzy Moms Club for an honest conversation about the challenges of parenting with vestibular disorders, including vestibular migraine, PPPD (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness), vestibular neuritis, unilateral vestibular hypofunction, BPPV, and Ménière’s disease.

In this episode of Talk Dizzy To Me, vestibular physical therapists Dr. Abbie Ross, PT, NCS and Dr. Dani Tolman, PT sit down with Dr. David Sandlin, a vestibular and oculomotor neurologist at Emory Brain Health Center, to discuss how eye movements can provide critical clues to progressive neurologic diseases. From Parkinson's disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) to Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), cerebellar disorders, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Dr. Sandlin explains how a detailed bedside eye movement examination can detect neurologic disease long before imaging does. He shares the clinical reasoning behind evaluating nystagmus, saccades, smooth pursuit, VOR testing, and other vestibular examination findings that help differentiate central from peripheral causes of dizziness. This episode also discusses the importance of making timely referrals and understanding where vestibular rehabilitation fits into the care of progressive neurologic disorders.

In this episode of Talk Dizzy to Me, vestibular physical therapists Dr. Abbie Ross, PT, NCS and Dr. Dani Tolman, PT are joined by Dr. Ben Shaw, a London-based consultant audiovestibular physician specializing in dizziness, vertigo, balance disorders, tinnitus, and hearing loss.

In this episode of Talk Dizzy To Me, vestibular physical therapists Dr. Abbie Ross, PT, NCS and Dr. Danielle Tolman, PT are joined by Dr. Katherine Deines, PT, NCS and Dr. Jaimy Wahab, PT, NCS, also known as the Neuro Dizzy Duo, for a deep dive into one of the most overlooked parts of the vestibular system: the otolith organs. While many people associate vertigo and dizziness with the semicircular canals and spinning sensations, this episode explores how the utricle and saccule help us sense gravity, acceleration, head position, vertical orientation, and linear movement. The conversation highlights why otolith dysfunction may contribute to symptoms such as rocking, swaying, bobbing, feeling pulled or pushed, floating, walking on marshmallows, disorientation, and feeling “off.” The guests also explain how otolith dysfunction may show up in conditions such as BPPV, vestibular migraine, PPPD/3PD, Mal de Débarquement Syndrome, concussion, dysautonomia, POTS, Parkinson’s disease, and other complex vestibular presentations. This episode is especially helpful for vestibular clinicians, physical therapists, audiologists, patients with chronic dizziness, and anyone trying to better understand why dizziness is not always “spinning.”