Sick in the City: A clinician's perspective

Abstract

Vertigo is a symptom caused by many recognised medical conditions, and treatment varies from physiotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, to medication and, in extreme cases, surgery. This paper contributes to the Special Issue ‘Vertigo in the City’, and begins with an Introductory Comment (Author AJosephine Kane), which provides a brief medical definition and description of vertigo, and situates current clinical practice in the historical context of nineteenth century ideas about the impact of the city on mental and physical health. The main body of the paper draws on Author B’sJohanna Beyts’ 30 years of experience in clinical practice, providing a more detailed overview of the symptoms and causes of visual vertigo and discussing the impact of the urban environment on different patient groups, focusing of their experience of vertigo, their emotional response to particular kinds of space, and potential rehabilitation through a programme of desensitization.