I have had the opportunity to work very closely with thousands of individuals battling positional vertigo since the year 2000. These individuals have varied in ages from the late teens to the early 90s. Many of these individuals have had BPPV and have described the experience as one of the most terrifying events in their lives. Some have said they would rather have open heart surgery, give birth, have their knees replaced and even go through chemo therapy than battle BPPV.
Beause of the perceived uncontrollable and unpredictable nature of BPPV, many are held captive by the problem. Many I see with this problem come in moving as though they are being held under arrest or at gunpoint. It is very rewarding to be able to help these individuals move from captivity to freedom.
One of my most memorable and rewarding clients I worked with who had BPPV was a client in her 50s. She had dealt with Multiple Sclerosis for 30 years. Her MS progressed to the point where she was not able to move her arms, legs or sit up on her own. The only way she could drive her wheelchair was through use of a head controlled device. Unfortunately, she developed BPPV.
Because of her BPPV, she was not able to drive her wheelchair without feeling extremely nauseated and sick. We were able to use the assistance of four staff members and move her so that her calcium crystals would be returned and she would no longer be dizzy. She was able to drive her wheelchair out of our clinic without being dizzy.
