What does the evidence say about the effectiveness of Vestibular Therapy?
Evidence based approach to treating the most common type of Vertigo based on research in the literature has shown success rates of 90% to 92.5% cure rates in just one week. (Sinsamutpadung & Kulthaveesup, 2021, P.866).
What does systematic reviews say about the effectiveness of Vestibular Therapy?
Systematic Reviews are the highest form of evidence in the world to date to prove if said interventions are beneficial or not
Article Title: Effectiveness of Particle Repositioning Maneuvers in the Treatment of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A Systematic Review
Link to article: https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20090071
*BPPV = the most common type of vertigo😵💫(Helminski & Zee & Janssen & Hain, 2010, P. 663)
Results
*✅Strong evidence that vestibular therapy will resolve symptoms (Helminski & Zee & Janssen & Hain, 2010, P. 663)
*✅Success rate as high as 90% to 95% in 1 week (Helminski & Zee & Janssen & Hain, 2010, P. 674)
*✅CRP success rates were 71% to 93% effective (Helminski & Zee & Janssen & Hain, 2010, P. 672)
*✅37 times more successful than sham treatments (Helminski & Zee & Janssen & Hain, 2010, P. 663)
*✅Liberatory maneuvers success rate is 80% to 85% effective at curing the issue (Helminski & Zee & Janssen & Hain, 2010, P. 672)
Which treatment do I need?
It all depends on which of your 6 canals (3 on each side) in your vestibular system (inner ear) is affected. A Certified Vestibular Therapist can perform what is known as the gold standard test (most accurate test for a correct diagnosis as this pathology doesn’t show up on imaging). These 3 tests can determine which side and which canal is affected. This information will then determine which maneuver you need. Please do not complete maneuvers without a proper Physical Therapy diagnosis first as it may make your symptoms worse if the wrong maneuver is performed or if the maneuver isn’t done correctly.
Dr. Tim Thomas PT, DPT, COMT, CVT – Certified Vestibular Therapist, Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist
References
- Helminski, J. O., Zee, D. S., Janssen, I., & Hain, T. C. (2010). Effectiveness of Particle Repositioning Maneuvers in the Treatment of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A Systematic Review. Physical Therapy, 90(5), 663–678. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20090071
- Sinsamutpadung, C., & Kulthaveesup, A. (2021). Comparison of outcomes of the Epley and Semont maneuvers in posterior canal BPPV : A randomized controlled trial. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, 6(4), 866–871. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20090071
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