Short-term effect of Home based Vestibular Rehabilitation to Improve Dizziness Severity and Handicap

Abstract

Background: Improving the quality of life in patients with vestibular related dizziness is a challenge. However, there are growing evidence to support the use of vestibular rehabilitation (VR) to improve dizziness severity and handicap. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of a home based VR in physical, emotional and functional disability in patients with chronic dizziness. Methodology: A pretest-posttest study was conducted at the ENT unit of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Patients (n=22) with chronic vestibular dysfunction were allocated into either a VR group (n=12) or a control group (n=10). Patients in the VR group were treated with a home based VR program with additional telephone support for six weeks, while the patients in the control group received simple eye and head exercises. Dizziness Handicap Inventory-Sinhala (DHI-S) was used to assess the symptom and disability of patients before and after the VR program. The intergroup comparison was done by Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the intragroup comparison by Mann-Whitney U test. The McNemar-Bowker test and the chi-square test were used to assess the intra-group and inter-group pre and post DHI severity respectively. Results: There were no significant differences in demographic or clinical features and any pre test outcome measures between the two groups (p>.05). The VR group presented significant improvements in all sub scales of DHI-S (functional, emotional, physical and total) and DHI severity at the end of the program compared with the control group (p<.05). The control group did not show a significant improvement in any post-test outcome measures (p>.05). Conclusions: This home-based VR program is beneficial in treatment of chronic dizziness due to peripheral vestibular dysfunctions while overcoming the limitations of time, resources and facilities available in the hospitals in Sri Lanka.