Short answer
Dizziness has dozens of causes, and the right treatment depends on finding which one you have. A Certified Vestibular Specialist has advanced post-graduate training in examining the inner ear, eye movements and balance, so treatment matches the diagnosis: a maneuver for BPPV, adaptation exercises for hypofunction, habituation for PPPD. General programs that skip that step often stall1.
Answered by Dr. Manan Patel, PT, DPT, TPS, Certified Vestibular Specialist and Therapeutic Pain Specialist. Updated October 18, 2026.
What training does a Certified Vestibular Specialist have?
It is post-graduate certification for physical therapists focused on vestibular anatomy, eye movement interpretation, positional testing for every canal and variant of BPPV, and the differences between inner ear, neck-related and central dizziness. Dr. Manan Patel, PT, DPT, TPS, holds it alongside certification as a Therapeutic Pain Specialist, which helps when dizziness overlaps with neck pain, headaches or a sensitized nervous system.
What testing do you use that a general clinic may not?
- Infrared video goggles that remove visual fixation and record subtle nystagmus
- Positional testing for posterior, horizontal and anterior canal BPPV
- BioSway computerized balance testing, including the modified CTSIB
- Eye movement screening of smooth pursuit, saccades and convergence
- A neck examination for cervicogenic dizziness
Why do 60-minute, one-on-one visits matter?
Some clinics see several patients an hour, with exercises supervised by aides. Dizziness treatment depends on watching your eyes and symptoms in real time and adjusting the dose, which is hard to do in a few minutes between other patients. Every visit at North Atlanta Vertigo is 60 minutes, one-on-one with a physical therapist, led by Dr. Patel.
Who sees a vestibular specialist in Alpharetta, Cumming and North Atlanta?
People with BPPV that keeps coming back, dizziness after a concussion or car accident, vestibular migraine, PPPD, Ménière's disease or balance loss with aging, and patients referred by ENT, neurology and primary care. We serve Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell, Cumming, Suwanee and Forsyth County, with urgent appointments within 48 hours.
Where can I get help in Alpharetta, Cumming and nearby?
Dr. Manan Patel, PT, DPT, TPS and our team of physical therapists see patients from Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell, Cumming, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Buford, Duluth and Forsyth County at two North Atlanta clinics. Every visit is 60 minutes, one-on-one, and urgent appointments are available within 48 hours. We are in-network with Traditional Medicare, BCBS / Anthem and Tricare, and offer a $129 rate per visit for self-pay and out-of-network plans. Not sure where to start? Take the free symptom self-check, or visit our Alpharetta clinic or Cumming clinic page.
Cumming clinic
Off GA-400 Exit 13 on Peachtree Parkway
Cumming, GA 30041
Alpharetta clinic
Inside Georgia Brain & Spine Physical Therapy
Alpharetta, GA 30022
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References
- Hall CD, et al. Vestibular Rehabilitation for Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction: An Updated Clinical Practice Guideline. Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy. 2022.
- McDonnell MN, Hillier SL. Vestibular rehabilitation for unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015.
This answer is general education, not a diagnosis or a substitute for an examination. If you have new or worsening symptoms, contact your doctor. Call 911 for sudden severe dizziness with trouble speaking, weakness, numbness, double vision or a severe headache.
