The 15-Minute Therapy That Cures Positional Vertigo
Ginny Seaman of Lititz says it felt like the room was spinning every time she lay down or sat up.
“The dizziness was bad – almost like I was falling,” she says. It was frightening.”
Medication didn’t improve her condition. But an ear, nose and throat (ENT) physician suggested physical therapy to see if she was experiencing sympoms of an inner-ear disorder known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) that causes dizziness, lightheadedness, imbalance and nausea.
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Phillip Blatt tests Patricia Thornton for benign paroxysmal
positional vertigo (BPPV), a condition that causes dizziness,
lightheadedness, imbalance and nausea. For many people, a
simple physical therapy treatment can cure the problem. |
It didn’t take long for Phillip Blatt, PhD, PT, NCS, of the Neuro Center, to detect – and correct – Ginny’s condition with a physical therapy treatment that took about 15 minutes.
“You don’t just have to live with BPPV,” says Joan Vance, Neuro Center Team Leader and Physical Therapist at the Aquatic and Physical Rehabilitation Center at the Lancaster General Health Campus.
“Dizziness and vertigo are symptoms of a number of conditions, including BPPV,” Philip says. “So we first work with your physician or specialist to determine the cause.”
True vertigo can be treated through physical therapy. “But whatever the diagnosis, we can help the patient navigate the system and find the best treatment for his or her condition,” Joan says.
What is BPPV?
People with positional vertigo frequently get the feeling that the world is spinning around them. It affects them when they have a position change, such as getting into or rolling over in bed, or tipping the head back.
BPPV is caused when crystals of calcium carbonate called otoconia, which are a normal component of the inner ear function, are displaced from their normal position by head injury, an inner ear disorder such as an infection or from age-related degeneration. About half of the people over age 65 who experience vertigo with changes in position have been shown to have BPPV.
The staff at the Neuro Center is trained to perform the Epley Maneuver, a therapy treatment that uses a series of simple head movements to move the otoconia debris, or “ear rocks,” from the semi-circular canals in the inner ear back to their normal location.
Recurrence rate is about 30 percent, but follow-up treatment usually corrects future positional vertigo episodes. Therapists can teach some patients how to self-treat recurrences.
It is a specialized therapy, so before choosing a therapist, it’s important to check if he or she has advanced training in this treatment.
Ginny’s dizziness has not returned since the therapy. “It’s so wonderful that I don’t have to worry about it anymore,” she says. “I feel so much more secure now.”
For information, call the Neuro Center at 544-3170, or Pain Management & Rehabilitation at 544-3103.
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