The Epley Maneuver (or Epley Exercise ) is a maneuver used to treat benign paroxysmal positional dizziness . Often carried out by a doctor or physiotherapist, but can also be carried out by the patient at home. This maneuver was developed by Dr. John Epley and was first described in 1980.
The maneuver does not eliminate the very presence of particles of statoliths , but rather, changes their location. The maneuver forces them to move from those areas of the inner ear that cause dizziness to other areas where such a problem does not occur.
The procedure should be performed in the following order:
- Sit up straight.
- Turn your head to the side where there are problems in the inner ear, at an angle of 45 ° and lie on your back. Hold this position for at least 2 minutes (during the maneuver, the assistant slightly shakes his head in an upright position).
- Turn your head 90 ° to the other side. Hold this position for 2 minutes (during the maneuver, the assistant slightly shakes his head in an upright position).
- Turn the torso in the direction of the head tilt so that the nose is pointing down. Hold this position for 2 minutes (during the maneuver, the assistant slightly shakes his head in an upright position).
- Return to your original sitting position and linger in it for 30 seconds.
The entire procedure should be repeated 2 more times, a total of 3 times. (when swaying, the probability of a maneuver triggering from the first time increases).
During each step of the procedure, the patient may experience dizziness.
See also
Benign positional paroxysmal dizziness