Vertigo essentially refers to feeling like you, or your surroundings, are spinning. It’s often described as dizziness, but it’s a specific type of dizziness that can also cause nausea and difficulty walking. While vertigo itself isn’t a medical condition, there’s a type of inner ear disorder that has vertigo as its prevalent symptom. It’s called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, is a disorder that impacts the inner ear. It develops when otoconia, or calcium crystals, break loose from the utricle, a sensory organ located in the inner ear. The main symptom is intense spells of vertigo or dizziness. Fortunately, with the right vertigo treatment, such as vestibular rehab, you can alleviate the negative impact benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can have on your everyday activities.
Maneuvering exercises for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo treatment
If you go see a physical therapist for BPPV, they’ll likely recommend exercises as one of the main courses of treatment. Maneuvering exercises, in particular, are shown to be both safe and effective. The goal of these maneuvers is to reposition the displaced crystals in the ear through specific movements. They may also be performed while the vertigo is happening to help stop the spinning sensation.
The most common maneuvers used as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo treatment are the Epley maneuver and the Semont maneuver.
In the Epley maneuver, or the canalith repositioning procedure, your physical therapist guides you through four positions. This maneuver involves turning your head in the direction of the ear where the BPPV has developed before quickly lying down on your back. Then you’ll move your head to the other side. You’ll hold the position for approximately 30 seconds before your body follows until you’re lying on your side.
The Semont maneuver involves sitting on an exam table, though it can also be completed at home in bed. It involves sitting on the edge of the table or bed. You’ll turn your head and quickly lie down on the side of your body with the affected ear. You’ll keep your legs at a 90-degree angle over the table or bed. While the Epley maneuver uses gravity to move the crystals back into the utricle, the Semont moves them into a less sensitive area of the ear to reduce vertigo.
Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can guide you through benign paroxysmal positional vertigo treatment
BPPV is a disorder that increases the likelihood of falling and sustaining an injury without the right treatment. That’s where Excel PT comes in.
Our vestibular rehab helps patients improve their balance, stability and gaze stabilization, which may be impacted by inner ear disorders such as BPPV. With the right maneuvering exercises, we can help you reduce your vertigo and dizziness.
Call us or request an appointment today for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo treatment.
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