Today, we're diving into a specific treatment for a common cause of dizziness known as Lateral Semicircular Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or LSC BPPV. This type of vertigo happens when tiny crystals get dislodged and float into the horizontal canal of the inner ear. We'll focus on a particular physical therapy technique called the Vannucchi-Asprella maneuver, developed by Italian researchers Paolo Vannucchi, Giuseppe Asprella, and Libonati.
Unlike other treatments that rely purely on gravity over time, this maneuver uses rapid head movements—specifically, a quick 90-degree turn while lying down, followed by sitting up while keeping the head turned—to leverage inertia. The goal is to use these quick accelerations to push the misplaced crystals out of the canal and back where they belong, resolving the vertigo. It's designed for both common types of LSC BPPV (geotropic and apogeotropic) and aims for relatively quick results within a clinical session. While clinical reports suggest it can be effective, predominantly when guided by specialists, it's often used alongside other techniques like the Lempert 'barbecue roll' or the Gufoni maneuver, and it hasn't received strong backing in major clinical guidelines compared to more widely researched methods. We'll explore how it works, how it's performed, and where it fits in the landscape of BPPV treatments.
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