Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is the Epley Maneuver?ProcessTipsBenefitsRisksWhat to Expect AfterWhen to Call a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is the Epley Maneuver?
Process
Tips
Benefits
Risks
What to Expect After
When to Call a Provider
TheEpley maneuveris an effective treatment for an inner ear disorder calledbenign paroxysmal positional vertigo(BPPV). Doing the Epley maneuver at home is safe as long as you are free of certain health conditions such as back or neck problems and your healthcare provider has shown you how to do the maneuver.
Experts believe BPPV occurs when the calcium deposits that normally reside in surrounding structures of the ear make their way into the semicircular canals of the inner ear. These canals contain balance receptors, which is why the deposits cause vertigo. The Epley maneuver is a series of movements that can help dislodge these particles and move them out of the semicircular canals.
This article goes over the Epley maneuver and how to do it safely at home.
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The Epley maneuver is a series of movements that manipulate and maintain the head in certain positions to move calcium deposits out of the semicircular canals and back into the parts of the ear where they belong. For those with BPPV, the maneuver can be very beneficial.
How to Do the Epley Maneuver
Don’t diagnose yourself with BPPVThere are manycauses of dizziness. Dizziness is one of the most common reasons why people visit emergency rooms.While some types of dizziness can be treated simply, others can be life-threatening. For this reason, you should always see a healthcare provider to find the cause of your dizziness.
Don’t diagnose yourself with BPPV
There are manycauses of dizziness. Dizziness is one of the most common reasons why people visit emergency rooms.While some types of dizziness can be treated simply, others can be life-threatening. For this reason, you should always see a healthcare provider to find the cause of your dizziness.
After your healthcare provider has shown you how to do the Epley maneuver, they may recommend repeating it at home up to three times a day until your symptoms have been gone for at least a day. At home, the maneuver is performed as follows:
The American Academy of Neurology has avideothat demonstrates the correct way to do the Epley maneuver. Once you have received a BPPV diagnosis and instructions to perform the maneuver at home, you might find the video helpful in making sure you are correctly performing each step.
Tips Before Trying the Epley Maneuver at Home
Benefits of Epley Maneuver
Since the maneuver is safe to do at home and unlikely to cause adverse effects, most people do not have to return to their healthcare provider for additional treatments.
Risks of Epley Maneuver
The home Epley maneuver is safe for people without medical conditions that limit mobility. However, you should always see a healthcare provider before you attempt the maneuver at home. If you have back or neck problems, the maneuver could cause injury.
The home Epley maneuver may also not be safe for people with vascular conditions or retinal detachment.
Can the Epley Maneuver Make Vertigo Worse?
Some people experience a worsening of symptoms after the Epley maneuver. This can happen when the calcium deposits are diverted into a different part of the semicircular canals.When this happens in a clinical setting, your healthcare provider can do a different maneuver to help fix the problem.
This is why it’s important to see your healthcare provider before you attempt to do the Epley maneuver at home.
Breathing Exercises for Vertigo
What to Expect After Epley Maneuver
Some people experience immediate symptom relief after the Epley maneuver. Others, though, may need to perform the maneuver a few times before they start to feel better. Your symptom relief may also not be complete; some people continue to experience mild symptoms for a few weeks after completing a series of Epley maneuvers.
After your symptoms have resolved, you don’t need to keep doing the Epley maneuver. However, you may want to sleep with your head more elevated than usual to prevent the condition from returning. Keep in mind that BPPV sometimes comes back, though it may be weeks or months later.
Once your symptoms have resolved, you should be able to return to all of your regular activities.
When to Call a Healthcare Provider
If the maneuver doesn’t seem to be working or your symptoms get worse, call your healthcare provider. You may be doing the maneuver incorrectly. It is also possible that another health condition is causing your vertigo.If the maneuver causes pain, stop and see your healthcare provider.
If your vertigo goes away and then comes back, try performing the Epley maneuver again. If it doesn’t work, see your healthcare provider.
Even if the Epley maneuver works, you still need to see your healthcare provider regularly. According to most experts, BPPV usually resolves within about six months. If your condition has not resolved, see a healthcare provider to confirm that you’re dealing with BPPV and that your condition has not changed or progressed.
Summary
The Epley maneuver is generally considered safe to do at home as long as you don’t have certain medical conditions including conditions of the back and neck. However, you should always see your healthcare provider first. They can make sure the condition causing your vertigo can be treated with the Epley maneuver and show you the correct way to perform it.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Spiegel R, Kirsch M, Rosin C, et al.Dizziness in the emergency department: an update on diagnosis.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14565. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14565Johns Hopkins Medicine.Home Epley maneuver.Harvard Health Publishing.Self-help videos to stop vertigo work for some, not all.Mahrous AK, Ahmed Mahmoud AM, El Habashy HS, Sarhan MM.Effectiveness of Epley’s repositioning maneuver in the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.Egypt J Neck Surg Otorhinolaryngol. 2020;6(2):1-0. doi:10.21608/ejnso.2020.79334Turner H, Lavender C, Rea P.Sudden-onset dizziness and vertigo symptoms: assessment and management of vestibular causes.Br J Gen Pract. 2020;70(695):310-311. doi:10.3399/bjgp20X710369
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Spiegel R, Kirsch M, Rosin C, et al.Dizziness in the emergency department: an update on diagnosis.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14565. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14565Johns Hopkins Medicine.Home Epley maneuver.Harvard Health Publishing.Self-help videos to stop vertigo work for some, not all.Mahrous AK, Ahmed Mahmoud AM, El Habashy HS, Sarhan MM.Effectiveness of Epley’s repositioning maneuver in the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.Egypt J Neck Surg Otorhinolaryngol. 2020;6(2):1-0. doi:10.21608/ejnso.2020.79334Turner H, Lavender C, Rea P.Sudden-onset dizziness and vertigo symptoms: assessment and management of vestibular causes.Br J Gen Pract. 2020;70(695):310-311. doi:10.3399/bjgp20X710369
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Spiegel R, Kirsch M, Rosin C, et al.Dizziness in the emergency department: an update on diagnosis.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14565. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14565Johns Hopkins Medicine.Home Epley maneuver.Harvard Health Publishing.Self-help videos to stop vertigo work for some, not all.Mahrous AK, Ahmed Mahmoud AM, El Habashy HS, Sarhan MM.Effectiveness of Epley’s repositioning maneuver in the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.Egypt J Neck Surg Otorhinolaryngol. 2020;6(2):1-0. doi:10.21608/ejnso.2020.79334Turner H, Lavender C, Rea P.Sudden-onset dizziness and vertigo symptoms: assessment and management of vestibular causes.Br J Gen Pract. 2020;70(695):310-311. doi:10.3399/bjgp20X710369
Spiegel R, Kirsch M, Rosin C, et al.Dizziness in the emergency department: an update on diagnosis.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14565. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14565
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Home Epley maneuver.
Harvard Health Publishing.Self-help videos to stop vertigo work for some, not all.
Mahrous AK, Ahmed Mahmoud AM, El Habashy HS, Sarhan MM.Effectiveness of Epley’s repositioning maneuver in the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.Egypt J Neck Surg Otorhinolaryngol. 2020;6(2):1-0. doi:10.21608/ejnso.2020.79334
Turner H, Lavender C, Rea P.Sudden-onset dizziness and vertigo symptoms: assessment and management of vestibular causes.Br J Gen Pract. 2020;70(695):310-311. doi:10.3399/bjgp20X710369
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