You roll over in bed and suddenly the room starts spinning.
You look upward, bend down to pick something up or turn your head quickly—and there it is again.
If this sounds familiar, one possible cause is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), a common inner-ear condition that causes brief episodes of vertigo with certain changes in head position. At Spring Physiotherapy, 133 Baker Drive in Dartmouth, chiropractor Dr. Claire Ferguson assesses patients with dizziness and positional vertigo and provides BPPV testing and canalith repositioning treatment when appropriate.
What does BPPV feel like?
BPPV commonly causes a sudden sensation of spinning or movement after changing the position of your head. Typical triggers can include:
• Rolling over in bed
• Getting into or out of bed
• Looking upward
• Bending forward
• Turning your head quickly
Some people also experience nausea, unsteadiness or a lingering sense that their balance isn't quite right.
BPPV happens when tiny calcium carbonate particles in the inner ear become displaced into one of the semicircular canals. When the head changes position, movement of these particles can send an inaccurate movement signal to the brain and trigger vertigo.
How is BPPV assessed?
Dizziness has many possible causes, so assessment is important rather than assuming that every episode of vertigo is BPPV.
Dr. Claire begins with a detailed history and physical examination to look at your symptoms, their triggers and whether the pattern is consistent with a common vestibular disorder.
When BPPV is suspected, assessment may include the Dix-Hallpike test, a commonly used positional test for BPPV. During the test, the head and body are carefully moved into specific positions while the clinician monitors symptoms and characteristic eye movements known as nystagmus.
What is the Epley maneuver?
When testing identifies a common form of BPPV, treatment may involve a canalith repositioning procedure called the Epley maneuver.
The Epley maneuver uses a specific sequence of head and body positions designed to guide the displaced inner-ear particles out of the semicircular canal and back toward the area where they belong.
For appropriately diagnosed BPPV, canalith repositioning is a well-established treatment, and some people improve after a single treatment, although others require additional sessions.
What if the dizziness isn't BPPV?
This is an important part of vestibular care.
The Epley maneuver is not a general treatment for every form of dizziness or vertigo. In fact, its usefulness depends on first establishing that the symptoms and examination are consistent with BPPV.
Dr. Claire takes a trial-of-care and co-management approach. Response to treatment is monitored, and if symptoms don't behave as expected—or the assessment suggests that another medical issue may be involved—appropriate medical follow-up or re-referral will be recommended. That distinction matters because dizziness can arise from the inner ear, medications, blood-pressure changes, migraine, neurological conditions and many other causes.
Looking for BPPV or vertigo treatment in Dartmouth?
If brief episodes of spinning are triggered by rolling over in bed, looking up, bending down or changing head position, it may be worth determining whether BPPV is the cause. Dr. Claire Ferguson provides vestibular assessment, Dix-Hallpike testing and Epley maneuver treatment for appropriate BPPV presentations at Spring Physiotherapy, 133 Baker Drive, Dartmouth, NS.
Book an assessment with Dr. Claire to determine what may be contributing to your dizziness and what the appropriate next step should be.
