Introduction BPPV (Benign Proximal Positional Vertigo) is the most common disorder associated with the vestibular system which plays a pivotal role in balance (Timothy & Hain, 2009). Parnes & Nabi (2009) defined BPPV as: “A peripheral vestibular disorder that manifests as sudden short-lived episodes of vertigo precipitated by certain head movements” (p. 287). This definition can be supplemented by Timothy & Hain, 2009) who described BPPV as sudden vertigo that is positional and paroxysmal. According
2.1 Vestibular System 6.2.1.1 Introduction The vestibular system is the primary organiser of sensory information and integrates sensory input at the brain stem level (Ayres, 1979:62). It is the unifying system and forms the basic relationship of an individual to gravity and the physical world. The vestibular receptors are the most sensitive of all the sense organs and all other types of sensations are processed in reference to this basic vestibular information (Ayres, 2005:62). The vestibular system
Vestibular System Athletes must accomplish amazing feats of balance and coordination of the body. As scientist, Mikhail Tsaytin discovered in the 1970s, acrobats can successfully make a two person human tower in the dark, but after adding a third acrobat, not even the most talented can maintain the balance required to keep the tower intact while in the dark (1). What does darkness have to do with it? The point is that balance relies on at least three signals coming from the body, and one of
803). Other symptoms may include nausea and vomiting, blurred vision and uncontrollable eye movements or flickering, known as nystagmus (Better Health Channel 2011; Mayo Clinic 2012b; The Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital 2011). BPPV affects the vestibular apparatus, or inner ear; specifically the hair cells responsible for the detection of head movement. The cause of these symptoms is due to otoconia dislodging, moving into one or more of the semicircular canals within the inner ear (Liu 2012, p
The brain is a computer that programs and connects all the human systems to work together. Each of these systems has its own function, but more than one system may contribute to one specific function. For example, the somatosensory, visual, and vestibular systems are the three sensory systems that contribute to maintain balance under different activities of daily living and environmental conditions. Elements found in the musculoskeletal system provide good stability and equilibrium. Assessing balance
The environment provides the information necessary for the equilibrium center to determine which position to place the body in. There are three main places in which information is received: the eyes provide visual information, the ears provide vestibular and auditory information, and the articulations provide proprioceptive information. In general, the eyes help position the body according to different horizontal angles in relation to the ground. The ears allow the body to acknowledge any type of