Authors (including presenting author) :
Lau SCB (1), Lam PL (1), Kong CHB (1), Yu SY (2)
Affiliation :
(1) Physiotherapy Department, Queen Mary Hospital, (2) Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Hong Kong West Cluster
Introduction :
Dizziness is a common and debilitating symptom accounting for 4% of emergency department attendance in Hong Kong. Fourteen percent of dizziness patients seeking medical attention were diagnosed with peripheral vestibular disease. Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) Pilot program was launched in the Physiotherapy Department of David Trench Rehabilitation Centre in September 2021, for improving the service quality for patients with peripheral vestibular disease.
Objectives :
To reduce dizziness and vertigo symptoms and to improve the balance function for patients with peripheral vestibular disease.
Methodology :
This is a single center Pretest–posttest study. All patients recruited into the VRT Pilot program by the Department of Ear, Nose & Throat, Queen Mary Hospital and Tung Wah Hospital from Sep 2021 to July 2024 were enrolled in this study. The VRT Pilot program included audiology and vestibular assessment by Audiologist and a fast-track physiotherapy program consisting adaptation, substitution, habituation training, and tele-education. Specific repositioning maneuver was included for patients with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. Neck assessment was done to rule out cervicogenic dizziness, and neck physiotherapy was provided for patient with positive result. Primary outcome measures included Romberg test, Single leg stance, Chinese version of Dizziness Handicap Inventory (cDHI) and Chinese version of Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (cABC).
Result & Outcome :
This study enrolled 151 patients. As at Jul 2024, 69 patients (21 males, 48 females) completed the program were recruited in this analysis. The mean age was 63 years old. The average duration of symptom till first physiotherapy treatment was 51 months while the average waiting time for physiotherapy was 2 months. Upon completion of the program, the mean Romberg score increased from 25.5 to 34 (P<0.05), the average single leg stance time increased from 18 seconds to 25 seconds (P<0.05). For cDHI, the mean score decreased from 36.1 to 26.3 (P<0.05) while mean score for cABC increased from 70% to 73.2% (P=0.08). In conclusion, VRT improved the dizziness symptoms and the balance ability of patients.
