I went to see a Physical Therapist who specializes in working with those with BPPV yesterday. She tried the Epley maneuver twice on me and then the Selmont, I think... but she couldn't seem to shake those ear rocks back to the right place. I got the impression that she usually got really good results; she even seemed disappointed that she couldn't seem to help me yesterday.

Anyone else with BPPV care to share what their experience was like?

Hope everyone is in balance today! :)

Robin

I went to see a Physical Therapist who specializes in working with those with BPPV yesterday. She tried the Epley maneuver twice on me and then the Selmont, I think... but she couldn't seem to shake those ear rocks back to the right place. I got the impression that she usually got really good results; she even seemed disappointed that she couldn't seem to help me yesterday.

Anyone else with BPPV care to share what their experience was like?

Hope everyone is in balance today! :)

Robin

Hi Robin

..."she couldn't seem to shake those ear rocks back to the right place."....

Wonder how she determined that...depending on the type of BPPV u have---aka---where the ear rocks have lodged vis-a-vis the canals, i.e., which one---or the utricle(which is more a gravity issue)---it is rarely possible to tell if the procedure worked---and even when/if it does---in 99.xx% of those cases---it is the person---not the PT or Doc---us says---"its gone"---since they feel great---also known as "spontaneous" recovery---the Epley and Semont Maneuvers---work in about 80% of the cases---so they say...

---At the Northwestern Univ web site---located in the "sticky" Information Archives" post at the top of this board...is the results of:

.."BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO---February 12, 2005

Controlled Treatment Trials

More than 394 patients have been reported in blinded studies comparing the Epley or Semont maneuver to either placebo or medical treatment. The results are clearly in favor of these maneuvers. The median response in treated patients was 81%, compared to 37.% in placebo or untreated subjects. The few instances where the Epley or Semont results were not compelling (e.g. Blakely et al, 1994), may have been instances where technique was not perfected............."..........

U can see the entire results at:

http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv%20trials.htm



When the Epley or Semont maneuver don't work---as determined over time---and after a couple of tries-----most Doc's will then use the Brandt-Daroff exercises.

Went back and read ur first post---think it was in a different HealthBoard thread...u said---u have all the symptoms of BPPV except the vertigo is not short lived....and that u have dealt with vertigo off and on for 3-5 yrs...did I get that right??

Did u mean the vertigo was not short lived---like in minutes after u stopped moving

----or that the vertigo stopped but u felt dizzy/weird---for a long length of time after experiencing the vertigo??

:cool:

Hi Robin

..."she couldn't seem to shake those ear rocks back to the right place."....

Wonder how she determined that...depending on the type of BPPV u have---aka---where the ear rocks have lodged vis-a-vis the canals, i.e., which one---or the utricle(which is more a gravity issue)---it is rarely possible to tell if the procedure worked---and even when/if it does---in 99.xx% of those cases---it is the person---not the PT or Doc---us says---"its gone"---since they feel great---also known as "spontaneous" recovery---the Epley and Semont Maneuvers---work in about 80% of the cases---so they say...

---At the Northwestern Univ web site---located in the "sticky" Information Archives" post at the top of this board...is the results of:

.."BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO---February 12, 2005

Controlled Treatment Trials

More than 394 patients have been reported in blinded studies comparing the Epley or Semont maneuver to either placebo or medical treatment. The results are clearly in favor of these maneuvers. The median response in treated patients was 81%, compared to 37.% in placebo or untreated subjects. The few instances where the Epley or Semont results were not compelling (e.g. Blakely et al, 1994), may have been instances where technique was not perfected............."..........

U can see the entire results at:

http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv%20trials.htm



When the Epley or Semont maneuver don't work---as determined over time---and after a couple of tries-----most Doc's will then use the Brandt-Daroff exercises.

Went back and read ur first post---think it was in a different HealthBoard thread...u said---u have all the symptoms of BPPV except the vertigo is not short lived....and that u have dealt with vertigo off and on for 3-5 yrs...did I get that right??

Did u mean the vertigo was not short lived---like in minutes after u stopped moving

----or that the vertigo stopped but u felt dizzy/weird---for a long length of time after experiencing the vertigo??

:cool:

Thanks for the reply. The P.T. figured that the procedure didn't work because after performing the Epley and Selmont, she had me lie back down on my 'bad' side and I was just as dizzy as I was when she began. She explained that if the ear rocks had moved back to where they are supposed to be, I wouldn't be so dizzy.

She determined that the ear rocks were in the horizonal canal I believe. (She said it was in the most common canal.) Whether that is the utricle, I don't know! You sound very well versed in BPPV; I didn't know that it existed until I was diagnosed this summer!

Re: my first post...yes, unfortunately sometimes the vertigo doesn't go away in 20 or 30 seconds. This is what sent me to the docs in the first place. I had a couple episodes while at work that practically incapacitated me; the vertigo would come on so strongly that I wouldn't be able to walk straight for hours afterwards. Although the initial violent dizziness subsided, if I even tried to make a move, it would send me me spinning again. Luckily, this has only happened 3 or 4 times in the past 6 months.

Anyway, I'm keeping the faith. The stats for a full or partial remission look pretty darn good. Thanks again for listening; it is appreciated.

Robin

Hey Robin
Knowing now which ear is affected, have you considered doing the MEP at home? Perhaps with some persistance you can move those rocks yourself. I didn't have success the first time I did it but by the third time I had done it in the 24 hour period I had no more vertigo or nystagmus.
(You may already know how to do it, there is a site on the sticky at the beginning of this board with instructions and a video)
My understanding (and maybe Subs will jump in here with some advice) is that you can't actually do anymore damage by trying it at home.
Also, I still felt pretty gross after doing it and staying completely upright after, I don't know how the professionals do it but I was supprised that she would place you in a vertigo provoking position immediately after trying to place those rocks back out of the canal. Did she give you instructions for sleeping in a semi-recumbant position etc??
Hope you can figure this one out. The MEP saved me from this evil thing!!!
Hope you get the relief soon!
FC

Forgot to say thanks for the reply. Stay well.

Robin

It was determined yesterday that it is my left ear which is affected. (Though I swear it was in my right ear for months prior to this! Is this possible?)

Now that I know which ear, I'm going to give the MEP a whirl this weekend.

The P.T. I saw seemed very caring and professional, though she did some pretty violent shaking of my head while doing the Epley. Eventually, I told her that if she didn't stop, I was going to lose it. Yep, I'd take a root canal or two over the exercises to stop the vertigo any day. Yesterday wasn't a whole lot of fun.

As I understood it, she placed me in the vertigo provoking position to see whether the Epley had 'worked' or not. She explained that I wouldn't have gotten so dizzy again had it worked. I didn't even question it.

Soooo glad to hear that you've had success with the MEP. It is an awful thing to have. You must be so psyched to be free from it!

Take care,

Robin

Robin

Yep I had Lab which turned into BPPV took me about 13/14 months to get rid of it...had to do the Brandt-Daroff exercises for about two weeks---but the ear rocks would still creep back in the canal---finally---used the MEP and the Video---followed the instructions with no variance---and it took a few tries---but it worked---after that---would use the MEP---if I felt---that I might spin again....that seem to work---and for the last 24 months am back at 100%

Think---the PT person might be a little to aggressive---with the maneuvers---and a little to optimistic in the results area

---it is not unusual that it take more then a few tries---to move the rocks out of the canal---especially if they have fragmented into pieces

....Firechick is right---if u take it easy on the MEP and follow the video and the instructions, i.e., three sets with three maneuvers for each set spaced out over 24 hours...initially for four or five days---or until---there is no vertigo---when doing any maneuver in the set...u should be ok

----u may have to redo the MEP's---occasionally---if the rocks slip out---again---until the finally stick or dissolve---and even after that the canal is extremely sensitive---from the rocks---rubbing---the canal wall---which makes u feel dizzy/strange, etc...until they heal...

....for me...I would clear them with the MEP...and be fine....a week or two...would go by---and I would have made some movement---like working under the car---and---they would slip out---I would do the MEP's again....be ok...until I made some movement---and have to do it again....that lasted about a month or more...then...they finally dissolved or stuck...so that...I can make...any movement now...with no prob....just takes time and the MEP...to overcome this....but most do..

:cool:

Thanks for all your expert advice and the pep talk. It's just what I needed.

Take care,

Robin