Comparison between Epley and Gans Repositioning Maneuvers for Posterior Canal BPPV: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVES: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a condition in which a patient gets severe vertigo on moving his head from one position to another. This study aims at comparing the traditional maneuver-Epley repositioning maneuver (ERM) and the newly emerged maneuver-Gans Repositioning maneuver (GRM). DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTINGS: Tertiary care teaching University Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Posterior canal BPPV. INTERVENTION: Two hundred and thirty-four patients with BPPV (PC-BPPV) of the posterior canal, diagnosed using the Dix-hallpike test (DH test), were recruited for the study as per random allocation. Two groups were divided by the random allocation method. One group was treated with the Epley maneuver and the other with Gans maneuver by two separate physiotherapists. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: DH test negativity (absence of vertigo and nystagmus), Vertigo Analogue Scale (VAS), and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). Twenty-four hours post-treatment assessments and data analysis were conducted by another (third) therapist. A one month follow-up subjective assessment was performed. RESULTS: Results of one-variable Chi-square tests revealed significant improvement (P < .0001) in maximum (95%) patients of both groups whether subjects were given GRM or ERM. Also, objective improvement (DH test) was found in the Epley group (n = 118, 82.20%) and the Gans group (n = 116, 78.44%). Patients in both groups improved significantly with no dizziness on the VVAS scale (n = 118, 82.20%) in the Epley group and (n = 116, 78.44%) in the Gans group. CONCLUSION: GRM is as easy, effective, and safe maneuver as the ERM with the absence of recurrence for the treatment of posterior canal BPPV. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Registry (CTRI/2019/10/021681).