SS  experienced symptoms for 5 year. In Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) dizziness is thought to be due to debris that has collected within a part of the inner ear. This debris can be thought of as "ear rocks", although the formal name is "Otoconia”.  Otoconia are small crystals of calcium carbonate derived from a structure in the ear called the "utricle".  The Otoconia, they are able to migrate into the canal system. The utricle may have been damaged by head injury, infection, or other disorder of the inner ear,  or may have degenerated because of advanced age (which was the case for SS). Normally Otoconia appear to have a slow turnover.  They are probably dissolved naturally as well as actively reabsorbed

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BPPV is a common cause of dizziness. About 20% of all dizziness is due to BPPV. The older you are, the more likely it is that your dizziness is due to BPPV, as about 50% of all dizziness in older people is due to BPPV.

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The symptoms of BPPV include dizziness or vertigo, lightheaded, imbalance, and nausea. Activities that bring on symptoms will vary among persons, but symptoms are almost always precipitated by a change of position of the head with respect to gravity. Getting out of bed or rolling over in bed are common motions that precipitate the problem. People with BPPV often feel dizzy and unsteady when they tip their heads back to look up.

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SS was diagnosed after extensive evaluation by numerous neurologists.  Fortunately, SS did not have anything serious. His MRI and CT scans were completely normal as was most of his neurological evaluation except for the BPPV.  SS had BPPV 1-3 times each day and it would last from 30-60 seconds. He was referred to a physical therapist who was to train him to tolerate the positional changes that would cause the BPPV.  Despite several sessions with the physical therapist the improvement would only last 1-2 days.

 

He started ONDAMED treatment on 7/2/07 and received his second treatment on 8/8/07. After the first treatment he felt more energy but no improvement in the BPPV. After the second treatment he did not experience BPPV for some time. He went on a golf vacation the week after the treatment and he was still not experiencing BPPV.  Since the last treatment he has experienced at most 5 bouts of BPPV.  He will be receiving more sessions over the next month since he will be leaving for Florida in the winter and he wants to make sure that the BPPV does not return.  While he is away he won’t have access to the ONDAMED practitioner since he’ll be quite a distance away in another state.  ONDAMED caused rapid and lasting improvement in BPPV.   

(Case Study conducted by Dr. Shari Lieberman)