Can Chiropractic & Neuro-Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Help POTS? | Keilor Chiropractor

Written By Teghan Butler

Understanding POTS Beyond Just Dizziness

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, commonly known as POTS, is a complex condition involving dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system.

Many people with POTS experience symptoms such as:

  • Dizziness

  • Lightheadedness

  • Brain fog

  • Rapid heart rate when standing

  • Fatigue

  • Exercise intolerance

  • Headaches

  • Neck tension

  • Sensitivity to stress

  • Difficulty regulating energy levels

At The Sports Recovery Hub in Keilor, our neuro-orthopaedic rehabilitation approach looks beyond simply treating symptoms.

Instead, we focus on how the brain, nervous system, vestibular system, vision, movement systems, and autonomic regulation interact together.

A Neuro-Orthopaedic & Functional Neurology Perspective

Our approach is influenced by:

  • Functional Neurology

  • FNOR (Functional Neurology & Orthopaedic Rehabilitation)

  • Neuro-orthopaedic rehabilitation principles

  • Concepts taught through the Carrick Institute

This model focuses on how the brain receives, processes, and responds to sensory information from the body.

Rather than focusing purely on spinal “adjustments,” the goal is to understand:

  • How the nervous system regulates stress

  • How the brain interprets movement and balance

  • How autonomic function may become dysregulated

  • How sensory overload and fatigue can accumulate

  • How movement and rehabilitation can influence nervous system adaptability

How the Brain Communicates With the Body in POTS

The autonomic nervous system helps regulate:

  • Heart rate

  • Blood pressure

  • Breathing

  • Blood flow

  • Stress responses

  • Recovery states

In POTS, these systems may struggle to regulate efficiently, particularly during positional changes such as standing.

From a neuro-orthopaedic perspective, several systems may influence this process, including:

  • Vestibular system (balance system)

  • Visual system

  • Cervical spine sensory input

  • Cerebellar processing

  • Breathing mechanics

  • Autonomic regulation pathways

When these systems become overloaded or dysregulated, symptoms may become more noticeable.

This is why many people with POTS report symptoms worsening with:

  • Stress

  • Poor sleep

  • Fatigue

  • Overexertion

  • Visual overload

  • Busy environments

  • Lack of recovery

  • Rapid positional changes

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) & Nervous System Regulation

One concept often discussed in neuro-rehabilitation is HRV (Heart Rate Variability).

HRV reflects how adaptable the autonomic nervous system is between stress and recovery states.

Lower HRV is often associated with:

  • Increased stress load

  • Poor recovery

  • Fatigue

  • Reduced nervous system adaptability

While HRV alone does not diagnose POTS, it can provide insight into how the nervous system is coping with:

  • Stress

  • Recovery

  • Exercise

  • Sleep

  • Environmental demands

At The Sports Recovery Hub, rehabilitation aims to improve overall nervous system resilience and regulation through progressive rehabilitation strategies.

What Rehabilitation May Look Like

Our neuro-orthopaedic rehabilitation approach is not simply about “cracking” or spinal adjustments.

Instead, rehabilitation may include a combination of:

Visual Rehabilitation

The visual system plays a major role in balance, orientation, and autonomic regulation.

Rehabilitation may include:

  • Eye tracking exercises

  • Visual stability training

  • Gaze stabilisation drills

  • Visual motion tolerance work

Ocular Motor Rehabilitation

Ocular motor exercises may help improve:

  • Eye coordination

  • Visual processing

  • Head and eye movement integration

  • Motion sensitivity

These systems closely interact with the vestibular and autonomic systems.

Vestibular Rehabilitation

The vestibular system helps regulate:

  • Balance

  • Spatial awareness

  • Head position

  • Movement interpretation

Vestibular rehabilitation may include:

  • Balance retraining

  • Positional tolerance exercises

  • Head movement drills

  • Vestibular adaptation strategies

Movement & Motor Rehabilitation

Movement rehabilitation may focus on:

  • Positional tolerance

  • Graded exercise exposure

  • Walking capacity

  • Coordination

  • Breathing mechanics

  • Cervical movement

  • Progressive loading

The goal is to improve nervous system adaptability over time without excessively overloading symptoms.

Why a Multidisciplinary Approach Matters

POTS is complex and often benefits from a multidisciplinary management approach.

At The Sports Recovery Hub, our team combines:

  • Chiropractic

  • Neuro-orthopaedic rehabilitation

  • Functional rehabilitation

  • Exercise-based care

  • Strength and conditioning principles

  • Movement rehabilitation

to help support long-term management strategies.

Patients may also benefit from collaboration with:

  • GPs

  • Cardiologists

  • Neurologists

  • Exercise physiologists

  • Allied health practitioners

depending on the individual presentation.

What to Expect at Your Appointment

Your assessment may include:

  • Neurological screening

  • Balance assessment

  • Ocular motor testing

  • Movement assessment

  • Autonomic symptom discussion

  • Cervical spine assessment

  • Functional rehabilitation planning

Every rehabilitation plan is tailored to the individual and their current symptom tolerance.

Book a Neuro-Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Assessment in Keilor

If you are experiencing:

  • Dizziness

  • Brain fog

  • Exercise intolerance

  • Neck tension

  • Autonomic symptoms

  • Motion sensitivity

  • POTS-related symptoms

our team at The Sports Recovery Hub may be able to help guide you through an individualised rehabilitation approach.

Book online via:
The Sports Recovery Hub Bookings

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Teghan Butler
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