BPPV Treatment in Hamilton and Ancaster

With particle repositioning manoeuvres. The best known is the Epley manoeuvre, also spelled Epley maneuver. We move your head through a set sequence of positions that steers the loose crystals out of the canal and back where they belong.

The whole treatment takes a few minutes. Research suggests about eight in ten people improve after repositioning treatment, often within one to three visits.

Sometimes it settles over weeks or months as the crystals dissolve or move on their own. Many people find that a long time to feel unsafe rolling over in bed.

Repositioning treatment usually resolves it much faster, which is why practice guidelines recommend it as first line care.

Often there is no clear reason. Age is the biggest factor. A knock to the head, a long stay lying flat, or an inner ear infection can also shake crystals loose.

None of it means anything is dangerous inside your ear. The canals are simply sensitive to the crystals being in the wrong place.

The story and the test. BPPV causes short spins, under a minute, set off by position changes. We confirm it with the Dix-Hallpike test, which briefly reproduces the spin while we watch your eyes. The eye movement pattern tells us which ear and which canal is involved.

That detail matters, because the treatment is steered by which canal holds the crystals.

Home repositioning can work when the right canal and side have been identified. Doing it for the wrong side or wrong canal tends to fail, and it can occasionally move crystals into a different canal.

Have it assessed and treated first. After that, if home treatment makes sense for you, we teach you how to do it properly.

It can. Recurrence within a few years is common enough that we prepare you for it. The good news is that repeat episodes respond to the same quick treatment, and returning patients know exactly what to do.

Many people feel major relief quickly. Mild wooziness or a floaty feeling for a day or two afterward is common and normal.

We go through simple aftercare before you leave, including what to expect that evening and when to book a follow up.

BPPV has a specific pattern: short spins with position changes, settling within a minute. Dizziness that is constant, comes with hearing changes, or arrives with double vision, slurred speech or weakness points to other causes.

Our assessment screens for these. When something needs a doctor, we say so clearly and help with the next step. Our vestibular physiotherapy page covers the other causes of dizziness we treat.

No. You can book directly. Most extended health plans cover physiotherapy, and we bill most major insurers directly. Your first assessment and first treatment are free.

Plan for a bit of wooziness after your first repositioning treatment. If your spins have been strong, having someone drive you to that first visit is a reasonable idea. We talk through it with you before you leave.