title: Effectiveness of a Vestibular Rehabilitation Protocol to Improve the Health-Related Quality of Life and Postural Balance in Patients with Vertigo.
abstract: Introduction Dizziness can be characterized as a balance disorder that causes discomfort, leading to several functional limitations. Currently, vestibular rehabilitation has been highlighted as a possible treatment. Objective Analyze the effects of completing a vestibular rehabilitation treatment protocol on quality of life and postural balance in patients with vestibular complaints, as well as to compare these effects between the patients taking or not taking antivertigo drugs. Methods A nonrandomized controlled trial was performed with 20 patients previously diagnosed with vestibular diseases. Information regarding vertigo symptoms, quality of life as assessed through the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, visual analog scale of dizziness, and stabilometry using force platform was collected. Patients were treated for 12 weeks by a custom protocol. The sample was divided into two groups according to the use (medicated group, n = 9) or not (control group, n = 11) of antivertigo drugs. Results There was improvement in quality of life (p < 0.001) and intensity of dizziness (p = 0.003) with the intervention. An improvement of postural balance was observed through functional tests. However, no statistically significant difference was noted in stabilometry. When both groups were compared, no statistically significant differences between the variations of the variables analyzed were found in the re-evaluation session. Conclusion Quality of life and postural balance are improved with intervention. However, this improvement is not associated with pharmacologic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Norte do Paraná (UNOPAR), Centro Universitário Filadélfia, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Heloísa Freiria
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.affiliation: Biological and Health Sciences Research Center, Universidade Norte do Paraná (UNOPAR), Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Viviane de Souza Pinho
authors.initials: Vde S
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Biological and Health Sciences Research Center, Universidade Norte do Paraná (UNOPAR), Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rubens Alexandre da
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gislaine Garcia
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Pelosi
authors.affiliation: Biological and Health Sciences Research Center, Universidade Norte do Paraná (UNOPAR), Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Lozza de Moraes
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Marchiori
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology Clinic, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudia Regina Sanches
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.affiliation: Biological and Health Sciences Research Center, Universidade Norte do Paraná (UNOPAR), Londrina, Paraná, Brazil ; School of Medicine, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUC-PR), Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karen Barros Parron
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Fernandes
keywords: dizziness; medicines; postural balance; quality of life; rehabilitation