Overview
The canalith repositioning procedure can help relieve benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). BPPV is a condition that causes brief, but intense, feelings of dizziness and spinning. These sensations also are known as vertigo. They may occur when you move your head.
Vertigo usually comes from a problem with the part of the inner ear responsible for balance. BPPV occurs when tiny canalith particles, also called otoconia, in one part of the inner ear break loose and fall out of place. They often move into the semicircular canals of the inner ear. This can make you sensitive to movement and cause vertigo.
The canalith repositioning procedure can move these particles to a part of the ear where they won’t cause dizziness. The procedure uses several simple head movements. It can be done in a health care provider’s office. The procedure is usually effective. The procedure relieves vertigo in about 80% of people after one or two treatments. But the problem may happen again.
Why it’s done
The canalith repositioning procedure is done to relieve symptoms of BPPV. The procedure moves the particles causing symptoms from a sensitive part of the ear — called the semicircular canals of the inner ear — to an area where they won’t cause problems, called the utricle. Once there, these particles won’t cause vertigo. The particles will likely dissolve or be reabsorbed by the body.
