Vertigo and Dizziness: BPPV Causes and Treatment

Navigating sudden symptoms of vertigo and dizziness problems can be overwhelming.

This will be our first part in series of blog about vertigo and dizziness related problems.

We will start with the most benign and non-threatening of conditions- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).

The good news is that physiotherapy provides effective solutions to help you regain control. In this guide, we’ll delve into how physiotherapy effectively addresses BPPV, unraveling the causes and treatments.

Understanding BPPV Causes:

• BPPV is triggered by floating crystals in the inner ear. When they go into the wrong canals, this causes disrupting fluid movement and causes intense vertigo with specific head movements, bending over, tying shoelaces, turning your head quickly, etc.
• There are many types of BPPV depending on where the crystals end up, and each one requires a different maneuver to reposition it.

Treatment for BPPV

1. Repositioning Maneuvers (DO NOT TRY THESE YOURSELF WITHOUT MEDICAL ADVICE):

   • The Epley Maneuver, can help with the most common types of BPPV. Other types of maneuvers include Barbecue roll (yes, you read that right- it’s called a barbecue roll because of the way the body rotated during the repositioning maneuver), and a few others depending on the type of BPPV

2. Brandt-Daroff Exercises (DO NOT TRY THESE YOURSELF WITHOUT MEDICAL ADVICE):

   • Brandt-Daroff exercises, designed for home use, help habituate the inner ear to positional changes, reducing the frequency and intensity of vertigo episodes.

Balance and Vestibular Rehabilitation:

1. Balance Training for Vertigo:

   • Incorporating progressive balance training exercises in physiotherapy enhances stability and re-trains the vestibular system, which is crucial for those experiencing vertigo episodes.

2. Vestibular Rehabilitation for BPPV:

   • Tailored vestibular rehabilitation exercises improve coordination and reduce sensitivity to positional changes, contributing to long-term BPPV management.

Home Care and Prevention:

1. Optimal Sleeping Positions for BPPV:

   • While you have ongoing BPPV problems, your physiotherapist will advice you about the best sleeping positions. These can be different depending on the type of BPPV, but usually a more upright position works for most patients.

2. Lifestyle Adjustments for BPPV:

   • During a BPPV episode, avoiding rapid head movements and aggravating movements can help physiotherapy interventions to prevent BPPV recurrence.

Conclusion

We hope that gave you a nice overview of benign vertigo/ BPPV. The most important thing we advice to our patients is to avoid DIY and self- management for BPPV as the wrong maneuver can lead the crystals to the wrong canal, which can complicate the existing issue.

As always, if you have any questions or need help, don’t be shy and please reach out!