Vertigo is a frightening and debilitating condition that could strike at any moment, and even a slight tilt of the head could send one into a dizzying and terrifying sensation.
Most medications and treatments are unfortunately ineffective, but numerous long-time sufferers have found the Half Somersault Maneuver developed by Dr. Carol Foster of great help.
The inner ear has three interconnected canals and gravity sensors, and the canals are capped by a bed of crystals, which if dislodged, enter any of the canals.
At this point, the crystals accumulate and lead to a mechanical disorder, which causes extreme dizziness due to the tilting motions of the buildup crystals.
Vertigo can be of the following kinds:
- Ménière’s disease
Its symptoms last for up to 2 hours, they involve vomiting, nausea. This condition can cause hearing loss, ringing in the ears, and a feeling of fullness in the ear canal.
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
It is the most common vertigo form, triggered by certain head movements as a crystal buildup shifts in the inner ear canals.
• Vestibular neuritis
It occurs suddenly and as a result of an infection, like a cold or the flu that has spread to the vestibular nerve. It leads to unsteadiness, earaches, nausea, and vomiting.
• Labyrinthitis
In most cases, it is caused by an ear infection and leads to dizziness and feeling of movement when the patient is staying still.
In most cases, vertigo is treated with the Epley maneuver and the Semont maneuver, and medications including benzodiazepines, anticholinergics, antihistamines, dopamine receptor antagonists, calcium channel antagonists, and anti-nausea medications.
Here is how to perform the Epley Maneuver:
If vertigo comes from the left ear:
- Sit on the edge of the bed, tilt the head 45 degrees to the left a pillow under you, to rest between the shoulders when you lie down.
- Quickly lie down on the back, with the head on the bed, and wait for half a minute
- Turn the head halfway (90 degrees) to the right without lifting it and wait for half a minute
- Turn the head and body on its side to the right, to look at the floor, and wait for half a minute.
- At this point, sit up on the bed and wait for a few minutes. Repeat three times before going to bed at night, until you have gone 24 hours without experiencing any vertigo symptoms.
In case vertigo comes from the right ear, reverse these instructions.
Here is how to perform the Semont Maneuver:
For dizziness from the left ear and side:
- Sit on the edge of the bed, turn the head 45 degrees to the right, and lie down on the left side
- Wait for half a minute, and move to lie down on the opposite end of the bed.
- Keep the head at a 45-degree angle, lie for half a minute and then look at the floor
- Return slowly to sitting, wait on the bed for a few minutes, and stand up
- Repeat it three times daily until you experience no symptoms for 24 hours
If the dizziness comes from the right side, reverse these moves.
The Half Somersault Maneuver
Otolaryngologist Dr. Carol Foster MD, Director of the Balance Laboratory from the University of Colorado Denver, suffered from Meniere’s disease and bouts of nausea and dizziness on a daily basis, so she decided to discover a way to treat the condition.
She had the nerve in her ear cut surgically, but this only treated the symptoms for a while, and the spinning resumed.
As vertigo is caused by the buildup of particles, she experimented with a twisting motion to release them, and eventually developed a simple exercise that helped all her patients.
Here are the instructions you need to do the Half Somersault Maneuver:
- Start on the floor, kneeling, and tilt the head back
- Look at the ceiling, even though the dizziness might increase momentarily
- Put the hands on the floor in front of you and let the head hang loose, its tip parallel to the floor, with the chin slightly tucked in
- Turn the head to either the right or left elbow, depending upon which ear is affected
- Hold in the position for about half a minute, then elevate the head quickly with the hands still on the ground and align it with the back, keeping it still turned to the affected side
- Raise the head fully upright
Make a 15-minute break and repeat, as you might need to do it a few times to feel the effect.
Numerous patients claim that this exercise relieved their symptoms and even treated vertigo completely.
If you suffer from chronic dizziness, you need to check the issue, ad if you are diagnosed with vertigo, consult your doctor about performing the Half Somersault Maneuver before trying it out.
