Epley maneuver for Vertigo

The manuever starts sitting upright . This maneuver should be done by a doctor or physical therapist both for safety (you may be dizzy) and to observe the eye movements.


This maneuver is done with the assistance of a doctor or physical therapist. A single 10- to 15-minute session usually is all that is needed. When your head is firmly moved into different positions, the crystal debris (canaliths) causing vertigo will move freely and no longer cause symptoms.

The Epley maneuver is also called the particle repositioning or canalith repositioning procedure. It was invented by Dr. John Epley.
It involves sequential movement of the head into four positions, staying in each position for roughly 30 seconds. The recurrence rate for BPPV( Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo ) after these maneuvers is about 30 percent at one year, and in some instances a second treatment may be necessary.

When performing the Epley maneuver, caution is advised should neurological symptoms (for example, weakness, numbness, visual changes other than vertigo) occur. Occasionally such symptoms are caused by compression of the vertebral arteries ), and if one persists for a long time, a stroke could occur.