title: Efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation therapy in reducing falls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the short-term effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation therapy in reducing fall risk in an at-risk population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of 70 patients older than 50 years of age at risk for falls treated at a tertiary vestibular therapy center. Fall risk was assessed by the Berg balance test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vestibular rehabilitation therapy resulted in a statistically significant improvement in Berg balance test scores (pretherapy, 36.8, to posttherapy, 46.4). Referring diagnosis, age, and gender had no impact on outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vestibular rehabilitation therapy significantly reduces the risk of falls in elderly at-risk patients with improvement measured at the termination of therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vestibular rehabilitation therapy plays an important preventive role in reducing falls in at-risk elderly patients, with beneficial effects seen at termination of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Macias Otology, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. jdmacias@earthlink.net
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Macias
authors.forename: Shelly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Massingale
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Gerkin
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004856:Postural Balance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*