Brandt-Daroff Exercises for Vertigo and Balance Disorders

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By Disabled World - 2008-11-23
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What is a Balance Disorder

A balance disorder is a disturbance that causes an individual to feel unsteady, giddy, woozy, or have a sensation of movement, spinning, or floating, and loss of balance. Causes of dizziness related to the ear are often characterized by vertigo (spinning) and nausea.

The human balance system works with our visual and skeletal systems to maintain orientation or balance.

Visual signals are sent to the human brain about the body's position in relation to its surroundings. These signals are processed by the brain, and compared to information from the vestibular, visual and the skeletal systems.

See below for Epley, Brandt-Daroff exercises, and Semont Maneuver videos.

Balance Problems related to the ear or the brain

Ear Related Balance Conditions

Bilateral Vestibulopathy - a condition caused by loss of inner ear balance function.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) - The most common cause of vertigo described as a brief, intense sensation of spinning that occurs because of a specific change in the position of head such as getting out of bed in the morning, or getting up from a chair too quickly. (See below for Brandt-Daroff exercises and other exercises to assist BPPV)

Labyrinthitis - Inner ear infection or inflammation causing both dizziness (vertigo) and hearing loss.

Ménière's Disease - Inner ear fluid balance disorder that causes lasting episodes of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus (a ringing or roaring in the ears), and/or the sensation of fullness in the ear.

Perilymph Fistula - a leakage of inner ear fluid from the inner ear.

Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome - Loss of balance and hearing disorder caused by a gap in the temporal bone, leading to the dysfunction of the superior canal.

Brain Related Balance Conditions

CNS or Posterior Neoplasms: Benign or Malignant.

Degenerative: Age related decline in balance function.

Infectious: Meningitis, encephalitis, epidural abscess, Syphilis

Circulatory: Cerebral or Cerebellar ischemia or hypoperfusion, Stroke, Lateral medullary syndrome (Wallenberg's syndrome)

Autoimmune: Cogan syndrome

Structural: Arnold-Chiari malformation, Hydrocephalus

Systemic: Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons

There are other causes of dizziness not related to the human ear:

Mal de Debarquement - (land legs or sea legs) a disorder of imbalance caused by being on a ship. Patients feel sea sick even when they get off the ship.

Motion Sickness - a conflict between the input from the various systems involved in balance causes an unpleasant sensation.

Toxins, drugs, medications

Treatment of Balance Disorders

There are various options for treating balance disorders. One option includes treatment for a disease or disorder that may be contributing to the balance problem, such as ear infection, stroke, or multiple sclerosis. Individual treatment will vary and will be based upon symptoms, medical history, general health, examination by a physician, and the results of medical tests. Most types of balance disorders will require balance training, prescribed by a physiotherapist.

Exercises for BPPV

Exercises are a method of treating BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). Exercises include the Epley, Brandt-Daroff exercises, and Semont Maneuvers. These maneuvers are effective treatment in that they help speed up compensation by the brain. When these maneuvers work, they can relieve the symptoms of vertigo very quickly.

Semont Maneuver - Semont maneuver (also called the "liberatory" maneuver) involves the patient rapidly moved from lying on one side to lying on the other. The Semont manuever is an effective in ridding the symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). A single 10 - 15 minute session is usually all that is required. When your head is firmly moved into the different positions, the crystal debris, or canaliths, causing vertigo will move freely and no longer cause the BPPV symptoms.

The Semont and Epley maneuvers may improve or cure benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) with only one treatment, however some people may need multiple treatments.

Further Illustrations on how to perform Brandt-Daroff and BPPV Exercises