Horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo treated by acupuncture and moxibustion: A case report

RATIONALE: Horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (HSC-BPPV) is a second common canal of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV); its actual incidence may have been underestimated because of its complex pathogenesis. Although the canalith repositioning maneuver is the treatment of choice, it has a high recurrence rate, affecting some patients’ lives and psychology. We submit a case report describing acupuncture and wheat grain moxibustion treatment for HSC-BPPV. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 70-year-old patient with HSC-BPPV had low acceptability of the otolith repositioning treatment strategy and reported intolerance during the procedure. He turned to acupuncture as a result of recurrent attacks of vertigo. DIAGNOSES: Horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. INTERVENTIONS: The intervention project was acupuncture followed by wheat grain moxibustion treatment, administered once every 2 days, 3 times a week. The whole treatment period lasted for 2 months. OUTCOMES: The patient’s clinical symptoms of vertigo improved significantly after 8 weeks of acupuncture and wheat grain moxibustion treatment. The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and Visual Vertigo Analogue Scale (VVAS) scores decreased, thus verifying that the severity of vertigo was reduced. LESSONS: This brief clinical report suggests that acupuncture therapy may be a complementary option for treating HSC-BPPV.