Good results of manual repositioning for positional vertigo

  Dizziness and vertigo are common clinical conditions with a high prevalence and are among the leading neurology consultations. Among them, benign episodic positional vertigo, commonly known as otoliths, is a common self-limiting disease of the inner ear, accounting for more than 1/3 of all neurology dizziness visits, but it is highly misdiagnosed as cervical spondylosis, insufficient blood supply to the basilar artery, Meniere’s disease (Meniere’s syndrome), etc.  Balance in the human body is accomplished through the synergy of vision, proprioception, and vestibular position awareness. The vestibule of the inner ear is the main receptor organ of the human balance system, and vertigo will occur if one of the three receptors does not coordinate with the other two receptor impulses to the central nervous system. When the otolith is dislodged from its original position and falls into the semicircular canal, it is called otolith dislocation when the head is struck by external force, or when the blood supply to the inner ear is insufficient due to aging or ear disease. The symptoms of this dislocation are short-lived, often lasting a few seconds, and usually not more than a minute, especially when turning the head, turning over, or sitting up, and can be asymptomatic or dizzy when not in motion. There is an incubation period of 1~2 seconds from the change of position to the appearance of vertigo and nystagmus. This kind of vertigo is easily fatigued, self-improving and recurrent, and is also called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, which is the most common cause of vertigo in middle and old age.  Although otolaryngitis is painful, there is now a good treatment for it. This method does not require medication, and the effect is so strange that it can be said to be immediate. This treatment is called “manual repositioning therapy”. This treatment is called “Manipulative repositioning”, which is used in conjunction with vestibular habituation training to produce vestibular habituation, resulting in a cure rate of over 90%. By changing the position of the patient’s head, the dislodged otolith is returned to its original location so that it can no longer stimulate the vestibular organs, and dizziness will be eliminated. Different types of benign recurrent positional vertigo are treated differently, such as the posterior hemianopsia and horizontal hemianopsia otolith repositioning methods. The treatment takes about 2 cycles, and one cycle takes about 1 to 2 minutes. The manual repositioning is easy and effective, which can save unnecessary waste of medical resources and greatly reduce patients’ pain and economic burden.