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Benign Vertigo Exercises

Scientists believe that benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, is caused by small calcium carbonate crystals trapped in the inner ear. BPPV results from head injury, trauma to the ear and long surgeries, but it is often impossible to determine the exact cause. BBPV appears more commonly in older people than in those under 50. BPPV symptoms include dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea and the loss of balance. Even rolling over in bed can cause some BPPV sufferers to feel dizzy. A series of exercises can help counteract the effects.

  1. Brandt-Daroff Exercises

    • According to Dr. Timothy C. Hain, Brandt-Daroff exercises ease benign paroxysmal positional vertigo 95 percent of the time. The exercise begins with the patient sitting upright on a bed or examination table. The patient then lies down on her side, rolling her head so that she looks up rather than out to the side. After about 30 seconds, or when the vertigo eases, the patient should return to her original sitting position for 30 seconds before lying down again on the opposite side. She should repeat the exercise five times. Dr. Hain recommends repeating this exercise three times a day for two weeks.

    The Epley Maneuver

    • The Epley maneuver begins with the patient sitting in an upright position, but situated such that his head hangs off the end of the bed when he lays down. While still sitting upright, the patient should turn his head 45 degrees toward the side where the vertigo is the worst. He should then lean backwards until he is lying on his back, taking care not to change the angle of his head as he does so. Once on his back, the patient should turn his head 90 degrees away from the direction he is currently facing and then allow his body to follow his head until he is lying on his side. From there, he can return to a seating position. He should hold each of the supine positions for 30 seconds and the sitting position for one minute. He should perform the Epley maneuver three times every night before bed.

    The Semont Maneuver

    • The Semont maneuver closely resembles the Epley maneuver, except that you perform the steps of the Epley maneuver far more quickly than the Semont maneuver. The Semont maneuver is often done by a doctor or at home with a helper, since it requires someone to hold the patient's head and help stabilize it while the patient quickly moves through the series of positions. According to Medscape's eMedicine, the Semont maneuver remains most popular in Europe. In the United States, doctors reserve the maneuver only for patients whose vertigo symptoms are caused by otoliths attached to the cupula. (The otolith is a small piece of bone that sits inside the inner ear and helps people keep their balance.)

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