How many times to do epley maneuver

These issues can include neck or back disease, vascular conditions, and retinal detachment. Ask your healthcare provider if the home Epley maneuver is safe for you. You can do the home Epley maneuver on a bed. You start by sitting on the bed. You need to have a pillow in place so that when you lie back it will be under your shoulders. You may find it helpful to watch a video of the home Epley maneuver first. Or read a brochure with pictures.

Your healthcare provider will tell how often to do this procedure. He or she may ask you to do it 3 times a day until your symptoms have been gone for 24 hours.

Your healthcare provider will also tell if your right or left ear is causing your symptoms. Most people say their symptoms go away right after they do the maneuver. In some cases, it may take a few times for the procedure to work. Some people may have mild symptoms for a couple of weeks. Once your symptoms go away, there is no need to keep doing the maneuver. Your healthcare provider may suggest avoiding certain positions for a while after your symptoms have gone away.

For instance, you may need to sleep propped up on 2 pillows, to keep your neck from extending straight. If you still have symptoms after doing the home Epley maneuver, call your healthcare provider. You may not be doing the maneuver the right way. But many other conditions can cause vertigo. You should be able to be active after doing the home Epley maneuver. It contains calcium crystals canaliths that help it detect movement.

Sometimes these crystals detach from the utricle and end up inside the semicircular canals. When these crystals move inside the canals, they may send incorrect signals to your brain about your position. This can make you feel like the world is spinning.

This is called vertigo. John Epley designed a series of movements to dislodge the crystals from the semicircular canals.

These movements bring the crystals back to the utricle, where they belong. This treats the symptoms of vertigo. The original Epley maneuver was designed to be done with a healthcare provider. The home Epley maneuver is similar. These are a series of movements that you can do without help, in your own home. In BPPV, vertigo may come on with certain head movements.

It may last for up to a minute. These symptoms may be more frequent at times. You may also have upset stomach nausea and vomiting. Often BPPV happens without any known cause.

Sometimes there is a cause. Causes of BPPV can include:. Other problems with the balance-related part of your inner ear vestibular system. These can include nerve inflammation vestibular neuronitis. The home Epley maneuver is safe and inexpensive. Epley Maneuver.

Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M. What is the Epley maneuver? Steps for Epley maneuver. Tips for success. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Seunggu Han, M. Understanding and Using the Semont Maneuver. Medically reviewed by Cameron White, M. Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M.

Vertigo and Vertigo-Associated Disorders. Can Vertigo Be a Symptom of Dehydration? BPPV is a common type of vertigo that has been found to account for up to 17 percent of cases of dizziness. It is caused by a problem in the inner ear.

Small crystals called canaliths become loose in the inner ear. They can end up in the semicircular canals of the ear. When these crystals move around, they cause fluid in the ear to be displaced. This results in a spinning sensation when a person moves their head to a different position. This spinning sensation is commonly referred to as vertigo.

The symptoms of BPPV come on quickly when a person with the condition moves their head. For example, symptoms can be triggered when turning over during the night. The Epley maneuver is designed to put the head at an angle from where gravity can help relieve symptoms.

Tilting the head can move the crystals out of the semicircular canals of the ear. This means that they stop displacing fluid, relieving the dizziness and nausea this was causing. However, it may need to be repeated more than once, as sometimes movements can dislodge the crystals after initial treatment. After performing the Epley maneuver, a doctor will advise a person with BPPV to avoid movements that could dislodge the crystals.

These movements include:.