Vestibular rehabilitation, or Balance Retraining Therapy, is a scientifically based and clinically valid therapeutic modality for the treatment of persistent dizziness and postural instability due to incomplete compensation after peripheral vestibular or central nervous system injury. Vestibular Rehabilitation is a valid form of therapy for dizziness and balance disorders and should be part of the treatment plan for acute and chronic vertigo, imbalance, and dizziness resulting from many etiologies or comorbid conditions Balance Retraining Therapy is also of significant benefit for fall prevention in the elderly patient who may suffer from multiple sensory and motor impairments or for those who have sensory disruption with moving visual information
Adopted 6/24/1997
Reaffirmed 3/1/1998
Approved 12/27/2007
Revised 5/6/2013
Revised 10/13/2020
References:
- Ertugrul S, Soylemez E. Investigation Of The Factors Affecting The Success Of Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy In Patients With Idiopathic Unilateral Vestibular Hypofunction And Idiopathic Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction. ENT Updates. 2019;9(2):150-158. doi:10.32448/entupdates.570136.
- Rodrigues DL, Ledesma ALL, de Oliveira CAP, Júnior FB. Physical Therapy for Posterior and Horizontal Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: Long-term Effect and Recurrence: A Systematic Review. International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology. 2018;22(4):455-459. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1604345.
- Kleffelgaard, I., Soberg, H. L., Tamber, A.-L., Bruusgaard, K. A., Pripp, A. H., Sandhaug, M., & Langhammer, B. (2019). The effects of vestibular rehabilitation on dizziness and balance problems in patients after traumatic brain injury: a randomized controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation, 33(1), 74–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215518791274
- Deems, D. A., Deems, R. O., & O’Malley, B. W. (2019). Managing Challenges in an Aging Vestibular System: Rehabilitation Strategies Normalize Balance Function in a Cohort of Patients Up to 99 Years. Ear, Nose & Throat Journal, 98(1), 37–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145561318824541
- Bhattacharyya, N., Gubbels, S. P., Schwartz, S. R., Edlow, J. A., El-Kashlan, H., Fife, T., … Corrigan, M. D. (2017). Clinical Practice Guideline: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (Update). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 156(3_suppl), S1–S47. https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599816689667
Important Disclaimer Notice (Updated 7/31/14)
Position statements are approved by the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery or Foundation (AAO-HNS/F) Boards of Directors and are typically generated from AAO-HNS/F committees. Once approved by the Academy or Foundation Board of Directors, they become official position statements and are added to the existing position statement library. In no sense do they represent a standard of care. The applicability of position statements, as guidance for a procedure, must be determined by the responsible physician in light of all the circumstances presented by the individual patient. Adherence to these clinical position statements will not ensure successful treatment in every situation. As with all AAO-HNS/F guidance, this position statement should not be deemed inclusive of all proper treatment decisions or methods of care, nor exclusive of other treatment decisions or methods of care reasonably directed to obtaining the same results. Position statements are not intended to and should not be treated as legal, medical, or business advice.
