Your surroundings are stable until you lie down on your back and everything around you starts “spinning.” You may also “spin” when you turn to one side, look up or look down. If this is happenning to you or someone you know, it is likely a condition called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), or simply “positional vertigo.”

Positional vertigo is a type of dizziness that occurs when small calcium particles inside the inner ear get dislodged.  This results in confusing messages being sent to the brain about your body’s position.  A prior head injury (even a slight bump to the head) or an inner ear infection make some people more likely to develop this condition.

Episodes typically occur when moving the head or changing positions, such as going to lie down, rolling over in bed, or tilting the head backwards to look up.  These bouts of spinning can last a few seconds to a few minutes and in severe cases, it can cause nausea and vomiting.

Medical doctors commonly prescribe motion sickness drugs such as Antivert or Dramamine. Medications do not work well for treating this type of vertigo because these drugs do not correct the displaced calcium particles which is the underlying cause of the problem.

The most effective treatment for positional vertigo is a procedure we use called the canalith repositioning procedure.  This safe and simple treatment involves a series of head movements that repositions the displaced calcium particles to their normal position inside the inner ear.  This treatment eliminates the spinning sensations and in approximately 80 percent of cases, it is corrected in only one treatment.  Best of all, this simple and effective treatment is performed without drugs or the need for expensive medical testing.

We help people with positional vertigo every day.  If you or someone you know is suffering from positional vertigo or other dizziness symptoms, contact our office to see if we can help.