Efficacy of the Epley maneuver for posterior canal BPPV: a long-term, controlled study of 81 patients

Abstract

We assessed the efficacy of the Epley maneuver (canalith repositioning) in a study of 81 patients with posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). A group of 61 patients underwent the maneuver, while a control group of 20 patients received no therapy. All patients were evaluated at 1 and 6 months. The percentage of patients who experienced subjective improvement was significantly higher in the treatment group at both 1 month (89% vs. 10%) and 6 months (92% vs. 50%). Three patients in the treatment group who did not improve after treatment underwent a second maneuver, and all achieved a positive result. In addition, 4 successfully treated patients experienced a recurrence between 1 and 6 months following treatment; 3 were retreated, and 2 of them responded well. We conclude that the Epley maneuver provides effective and long-term control of symptoms in patients with BPPV.