OT and BPPV

Earn 1 hour of continuing education by joining OT Potential after taking this course.

The Epley maneuver is a 💎 rare gem 💎 in the OT toolkit.

A patient can walk into our treatment room, and they can walk out cured.
They can walk out with instant relief.

(Yes, there is nuance to this. Sometimes the maneuver needs to be repeated. Sometimes it simply doesn’t work. There are important contraindications.) But, the other thing that makes this a GEM is that more so than any other condition we treat there are clear clinical guidelines for treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

But, despite the amazing power of this treatment, and the swath of research behind it. Many people fail to have their BPPV identified and treated in a timely manner.

In today’s article, we get to learn about a trauma center that trained their therapists in managing BPPV after TBI, and were able to reduce their referrals to neurology.

You are going to have so many questions after reading this article, and that’s why I am so thankful to welcome to the podcast, Jeff Walter, a PT who has devoted much of his career to treating and teaching on this condition.

Primary Journal Article Explored

When you log in, be sure to check out the OT Potential Club’s written breakdown of the following research article. Then, share your questions and thoughts with fellow practitioners.

• Does training therapists to manage benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in patients with acute traumatic brain injury reduce vestibular neurology referrals?

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

• We should be screening for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in all older adults at risk of falling: a commentary on the World Falls Guidelines.
• Clinical Practice Update Part II: Considerations for Treatment and Management of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Learning Objectives

• You will be able to identify red flags during your OT provision that would merit further assessment for BPPV. 
• You will be able to recognize which populations should be considered for BPPV assessment, with or without dizziness.

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Breakdown and analysis of journal article (5 minutes)

• Intro to BPPV and TBI
• What were their methods
• What were their results?
• Article discussion/conclusion

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (50 minutes)

• Jeff, can you tell me how you became interested in dizziness and how that has intersected with your PT career? 
• Can you tell me about your current work—and what you are passionate about right now related to BPPV? 
• What were your impressions of this article? 
• Why are patients with BPPV so underserved still? It seems like we have great research to back intervention. 
• How do these crystals get dislodged? (And what do we need to know about idiopathic versus trauma-induced BPPV?)
• The article mentioned “vestibular agnosia” what do OTs need to know about this—and why are subjective complaints not enough in a screening approach for BPPV.
• This article mentioned these are red flags (post trauma)  that should merit vestibular assessment with out with dizziness. Do you agree with the list?
  • Skull fractures
  • High energy trauma
  • Vomiting
  • Gait Disturbance
  • Nystagmus during bedside assessment
• Here’s what the article outlined as training. Would your recommend for an aspiring vestibular therapist?
  • 2 hours theory based on anatomy and physiology of post-traumatic BPPV. 
  • Training to identify and treat posterior and horizontal canal BPPV using standardized treatment guideline
  • 90 minute practical training session with a member of the visiting vestibular team
  • Opportunities over 2 months to complete a joint sessions
• How do we maintain contemporary practice standards for BPPV intervention for rehab and keep up to date?
• What do you see as the benefit training both OT and PT? 
• What do you see on the horizon for BPPV? 

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn about OT and BPPV.  The educational level is introductory.

Financial and Non-financial Disclosures

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

We here at OT Potential have no financial stake in this topic. 

Speakers

Jeffrey Walter, DPT, NCS

Jeff is the Director of the Otolaryngology Vestibular and Balance Center at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. He has lectured at professional conferences, universities and continuing education courses for audiologists, physicians and therapists involved in managing patients with dizziness and imbalance since 1999.

Jeff has a clinical research interest in Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, Superior Canal Dehiscence and Vestibular Schwannoma.

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L

Sarah’s passion is helping fellow OT practitioners translate evidence into daily practice. Sarah earned her BA in religion from St. Olaf College, then earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University in 2011.

Since then, she’s worked in numerous facilities, including a critical access hospital, an acute trauma hospital, and a state inpatient psychiatric hospital. Sarah is the founder/owner of OT Potential. Read more about OT Potential here.

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Requirements. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

We are proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider and to meet the requirements for your NBCOT renewal.

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