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I sincerely wish I could help Mike; I've just read this and wondered what treatments they've tried.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common form of vertigo and is characterized by sudden episodes of dizziness brought on by movement.

Here's what you need to know about BPPV.

1. BPPV is caused by a confusion of signals to the brain.
The vestibular apparatus, a series of canals located inside the ear, includes a structure that contains tiny crystals of calcium carbonate. These crystals help the body detect gravity, tilting and speed changes in linear motions like stopping and starting at a traffic light. BPPV occurs when some of the crystals escape from their normal chamber and get into one or more of the canals. "When you move your head, the fluid in the canals moves as usual, but when you stop, if the escaped crystals are still moving in one ear, they will continue to stimulate the canal, creating a clash of signals to the brain," explains Kathleen Shortt, a physiotherapist who specializes in vertigo at LifeMark Physiotherapy in Toronto.



BPPV can be diagnosed and successfully treated.
To determine which side of the brain is responsible, a physiotherapist has the person wear special goggles that simulate darkness and track eye movement. The direction in which his or her eyes move indicates which ear canal is involved.

Once the affected side has been identified, a physiotherapist who specializes in BPPV can successfully treat the condition. The most common treatment, called the Epley Manoeuvre, involves rotating the patient's head and body through four specific movements at differing speeds, each held for about 30 seconds. The patient's head and body are manipulated so that the dislodged crystals are moved along the canal and drop back into the correct chamber of the inner ear. Near the end of the Epley Manoeuvre, some patients feel a falling sensation. The vertigo symptoms can resolve quite quickly after this, but the feeling of being a bit "off" may persist for a while after, says Shortt. The treatment is 98.4 per cent effective after three treatments, if required, says Shortt.