Vestibular rehabilitation: rationale and indications

• Published in: Seminars in neurology Vol. 33; no. 3; p. 276
• Main Authors: Cabrera Kang, Christian M, Tusa, Ronald J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-07-2013
• Subjects: Evidence-Based Medicine; Exercise Therapy; Guidelines as Topic; Humans; Physical Therapy Modalities; Vertigo - rehabilitation; Vestibular Diseases - physiopathology; Vestibular Diseases - rehabilitation; Vestibular Diseases - therapy
• ISSN: 1098-9021
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1354593

Treatment options of the patient with dizziness include medication, rehabilitation with physical therapy, surgery, counseling, and reassurance. Here the authors discuss vestibular rehabilitation for patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), unilateral vestibular loss or hypofunction, and bilateral vestibular loss/hypofunction. They describe the different mechanisms for recovery with vestibular rehabilitation, the exercises that are used, and which ones are best. An exhaustive literature review on clinical outcomes with the best research publications for BPPV, unilateral vestibular loss/hypofunction, and bilateral vestibular loss/hypofunction is presented. For BPPV, the authors also summarize the evidence-based review practice parameters published in Neurology by Fife et al. (2008) and review all relevant articles published since then.