Effects of craniosacral osteopathy in patients with peripheral vestibular pathology

Abstract

Introduction: Vertigo appears as a result of a sudden neural activity imbalance of the vestibular system. The vertigo prevalence is higher in patients over 60 years of age compared to patients under 40 years of age. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of craniosacral osteopathy on dizziness and balance in individuals who have peripheral vestibular pathology. Methods: A total of 30 individuals, aged 24-50 years, participated in this study. Twenty-four of the participants were female (80%) and 6 were male (20%). The participants were separated into 2 groups, with 15 patients included in the cranial osteopathy treatment group (study group) and 15 patients included in the group that used dimenhydrinate (control group). The individuals were evaluated in terms of dizziness and balance. A visual analog scale was used to evaluate dizziness. Balance was evaluated using the Berg balance scale and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence scale. The craniosacral treatment program was applied once per week for 6 sessions. All of the individuals included in this study were evaluated 3 times, i.e., prior to treatment, on the third week of treatment, and on the sixth week of treatment. Results: Significant improvement was noted within each group in terms of dizziness and balance (p < 0.05). When the groups were compared with each other, it was observed that craniosacral osteopathy was more effective than dimenhydrinate treatment for dizziness and balance (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Craniosacral osteopathy is an effective treatment choice in individuals who have chronic peripheral vestibular pathology. In individuals who have resistant and chronic vestibular pathology, craniosacral osteopathy should be evaluated among the treatment choices. © 2020 Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.