前庭リハビリテーション：その実際と治療効果

抄録

In patients with vestibular disorder, unilateral damage of the peripheral vestibular function manifests as vertigo and disequilibrium; with recovery of the vestibular system (so-called vestibular compensation), the dizziness and disequilibrium gradually improve. However, there are cases of chronic peripheral vestibular dysfunction in which vestibular compensation is delayed and dizziness and disequilibrium persist. Chronic peripheral vestibular dysfunction does not respond to drug therapy, and vestibular rehabilitation is expected to become the major treatment modality.

Our team included physicians and physical therapists who worked together to evaluate the dizziness symptom, vestibulo-oculomotor function, balance function, gait function, and quality of life in patients presenting with dizziness and disequilibrium, in order to devise a vestibular rehabilitation program for patients with chronic dizziness. Herein, we present our vestibular rehabilitation program for patients with chronic peripheral vestibular dysfunction and its therapeutic effects, as well as our vestibular rehabilitation approach for persistent postural-perceptual dizziness.