Epley Maneuver for Meniere's Disease

The National Institutes of Health reports that 615,000 Americans suffer from Meniere's disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes vertigo, hearing loss and ringing in the ears. In addition to medications, some patients with Meniere's disease receive relief from a procedure known as the Epley maneuver.

Identification

• The Epley maneuver is a series of head positions that you make under the supervision of a doctor or chiropractor.

Function

• The Epley maneuver helps reposition fluid and particles in the ear canal that are often responsible for causing vertigo in patients with Meniere's disease.

Time Frame

• A study at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo in 2007 revealed that it takes an average of three sessions using the Epley maneuver to relieve vertigo caused by Meniere's disease.

Restrictions

• If you have a history of gastrointestinal reflux, a detached retina, an ear deformity called perilymph fistula, or circulatory disorders such as vertebrobasilar insufficiency, it may not be safe for you to undergo the Epley maneuver.

Considerations

• Even though instructions for how to perform the Epley maneuver are available online and in books, never try to do the series of moves without a physician present to prevent injury.