Authors: (including presenting author): :
Leung PH(1), Cheung TW(1), Yeung SF(1), Tsang LY(1), Lo HK(1), Fung CH(1), Yeung CL(1), Chu APN(2), Lau SM(2), Wong PM(2), Chan LS(2), Wan SY(1)
Affiliation: :
(1) Physiotherapy Department, PYNEH
(2) Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, PYNEH
Keyword 2: :
Vestibular Physiotherapy
Keyword 3: :
Vestibular Rehabilitation
Keyword 4: :
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Keyword 5: :
Vestibular hypofunction
Introduction: :
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and vestibular hypofunction are common causes of dizziness in adults, causing persistent dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, and reduced quality of life. Strong evidence suggests vestibular rehabilitation is effective in addressing underlying hypofunction, improving gaze stability, balance, and functional recovery. This two-year review is the first large-scale, single-centered retrospective review in Hong Kong that analyzes the clinical outcomes of patients after vestibular physiotherapy and evaluates its effectiveness.
Objectives: :
To determine the effectiveness of vestibular physiotherapy for the management of adult patients with BPPV and vestibular hypofunction.
Methodology: :
A retrospective cohort study was conducted for adult patients referred for vestibular physiotherapy from 1/1/2024 to 31/12/2025. The vestibular physiotherapy programme consisted of canalith repositioning maneuvers, gaze stabilization exercises, habituation exercises and balance training. The outcome measures included Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) of perceived dizziness, Dizziness Handicap Index (DHI), the time of eye closed tandem stance and single-leg stance. Paired Student’s t-test was conducted to evaluate the outcome effectiveness.
Result & Outcome: :
A total of 601 patients were included in the analysis and the mean age was 65.3 +/- 12.8. 290 and 311 of the patients were found to have BPPV and vestibular hypofunction respectively. For BPPV group, there was 88.4% reduction of NRS of perceived dizziness (p< 0.001), 66.2% reduction of DHI (p< 0.001), 85.3% improvement in eye closed tandem stance (p< 0.001) and 60.5% increase in single leg stance (p< 0.001), within 4.8 treatment sessions in 7.9 weeks in average. For vestibular hypofunction group, there was 72.1% reduction of NRS of perceived
dizziness (p< 0.001), 48.1% reduction of DHI (p< 0.001), 85.3% improvement in eye closed tandem stance (p< 0.001) and 22.5% increase in single leg stance (p< 0.001) within 6.5 treatment sessions in 15.8 weeks in average. It is worth noting that despite the comparatively older mean age in our study, the outcomes in both BPPV and hypofunction groups are comparable or even superior to current researches. This large-scale review highlights that vestibular physiotherapy is highly effective for both BPPV and vestibular hypofunction, improving their dizziness, balance, and decreasing the impact of dizziness in terms of physical, emotional and functional aspects.
