Mediterr. J. Otol 2006; 3:98-102

A new physical maneuver for the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo 

Victor Vital, Athanasia  Printza, Joseph Vital, Stefanos Triaridis, Miltiadis Tsalighopoulos

Department of Otolaryngology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. vvital@med.auth.gr  

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, which is the most common peripheral vestibular disorder, is characterized by brief episodes of vertigo that are associated with certain rapid changes in head position. Physical maneuvers are currently considered the method of choice for treating this condition. The aim of this study was to describe an alternative physical maneuver for the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and assess its effectiveness. The idea of implementing this new maneuver occurred after the report of a patient with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in whom rapid successive head movements performed inadvertently caused the complete resolution of symptoms. We evaluated 58 consecutive patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo who were treated with this new physical maneuver.  Fifty-five of those patients had posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and 3 patients had horizontal canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. The diagnosis was based on each patient’s symptoms and the results of the Dix-Hallpike test. The response to the treatment maneuver was excellent, and 49 patients (84.5% of the study group) experienced complete resolution of their symptoms after a single treatment. This maneuver can be performed by a physician or the patient if symptoms recur.