Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Vertigo generally has a good prognosis because:

• many forms of vertigo have a benign cause and are characterized by spontaneous recovery of vestibular function, or central compensation of a peripheral vestibular tone imbalance; and;

• most forms of vertigo can be effectively relieved by pharmacological treatment, surgery, psychotherapy, or physical therapy.

Physical therapies include exercises for vestibular rehabilitation, promotion of central compensation of an acute vestibular loss, habituation for preventing motion sickness, and improvement of balance skills in the elderly. The most important exercises are those that fall within the scope of this article: deliberate manoeuvres for positional vertigo (Brandt 1999).

BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) was initially defined by Bárány (1921). It is the most common cause of vertigo, particularly in the elderly. By the age of 70, about 30% of all elderly people have experienced BPPV at least once. This condition is