If you’ve ever experienced vertigo, you know how disconcerting it is to suddenly be so dizzy you can’t keep your balance. While several treatments exist, many people who suffer from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo have relieved their symptoms through special exercises. These are done on a bed so that if you lose your balance you’ll have a soft landing.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
BPPV is the most common type of vertigo, characterized by bouts of the sensation of spinning or other motion that last up to a minute. It usually starts with a simple turn of the head, often when changing position in bed. Researchers think the displacement of mineral crystals in the ears, called otoliths, causes BPPV. When otoliths shift from the inner ear to the semicircular canals, vertigo may ensue. Clinicians visually inspect the patient’s eye movements in different head positions to determine the position of the offending otoliths. Once identified, the clinician attempts a painless “particle-repositioning maneuver.” According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, clinicians have an 80 percent success rate for fixing the condition in one visit.
Exercises
If the particle repositioning maneuver fails, many doctors recommend doing Brandt-Daroff exercises to permanently halt the recurrence of BPPV. It will take some patience and perseverance to keep doing the exercises until your vertigo subsides completely. Be forewarned: Since the exercises themselves often provoke vertigo, they won’t be much fun. Start by sitting on the edge of your bed. Whichever side causes the worst vertigo, quickly lean that way first. Come all the way down onto your side with your ear on your comforter, face looking up towards the ceiling. Stay there for 30 seconds or until the vertigo passes. Sit back up and look straight ahead for 30 seconds. If you’re dizzy, wait until it subsides. Then repeat on the other side.
Repetitions
A full trip up and down on each side constitutes one set of the exercise. Aim for five sets in a sitting, which should take about 10 minutes. Repeat two or three times a day for two or three weeks. If your symptoms disappear after the first week, you can cut back to doing two repetitions of the set three to four times the second week.
Concerns
Other medical conditions may cause similar symptoms, so it’s important to consult a physician for a proper diagnosis first, rather than embarking on these exercises on your own. Since these exercises may lead to nausea and discomfort, practice somewhere you feel safe and comfortable. If possible, ask a friend or partner to stay close by in case you need assistance.
