Assessment and treatment of dizzy patients in primary health care.

Research output: ThesisDoctoral Thesis (compilation)

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Abstract

Dizziness is a common reason for visits to primary health care, especially among elderly patients. From a physiotherapeutic perspective, this thesis aims to study the assessment and treatment of dizzy patients in primary health care. Interventions in papers I, III and IV comprised a vestibular rehabilitation programme.

In paper I, patients with multisensory dizziness were randomized to intervention group or control group. At follow-up after six weeks and three months, the intervention group had improved their postural control while the control group had deteriorated. In paper II, the diagnostic panorama at a primary health care centre was studied, as well as balance measures and self-perceived handicap because of dizziness. Patients with multisensory dizziness performed more poorly on the balance measures than the other groups. Subjects 66 years or older had more disturbances in balance, but lower level of self-perceived handicap. The level of self-perceived handicap did not correlate with any of the balance measures. In paper III, patients with dizziness caused by whiplash associated disorder were randomized to intervention group or control group. At follow-up after six weeks and three months, the intervention group had improved in both balance measures and self-perceived handicap. In paper IV, patients with multisensory dizziness were studied. An intervention group was compared to a control group regarding balance measures, self-perceived handicap and the proportions of patients who fell. At the follow-up after three months, the intervention group had improved in two balance measures. There were no differences between the two groups in the proportions of patients who fell.

This thesis indicates vestibular rehabilitation as a feasible treatment for dizzy patients in primary health care. Since primary health care is considered the appropriate level of medical care for the majority of dizzy patients, this is also where vestibular rehabilitation is best provided, preferably by a trained physiotherapist.
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDoctor
Awarding Institution
  • Department of Health Sciences
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Håkansson, Anders, Supervisor, External person
Award date2006 Apr 26
Publisher
ISBN (Print)91-85481-69-6
Publication statusPublished - 2006

Bibliographical note

Defence details

Date: 2006-04-26
Time: 13:00
Place: Jubileumsaulan, Medicinskt Forskningscentrum, ingång 59, Universitetssjukhuset MAS i Malmö

External reviewer(s)

Name: Möller, Margareta
Title: Docent
Affiliation: Institutionen för Medicin, Göteborgs Universitet

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<div class="article_info">E Ekvall Hansson, N-O Månsson and A Håkansson. <span class="article_issue_date">2004</span>. <span class="article_title">Effects of specific rehabilitation for dizziness among patients in primary health care.</span> <span class="journal_series_title">Clinical Rehabilitation</span>, <span class="journal_volume">vol 18</span> <span class="journal_pages">pp 558-565</span>.</div>
<div class="article_info">E Ekvall Hansson, N-O Månsson and A Håkansson. <span class="article_issue_date">2005</span>. <span class="article_title">Balance performance and self-perceived handicap among dizzy patients in primary health care.</span> <span class="journal_series_title">Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care</span>, <span class="journal_volume">vol 23</span> <span class="journal_pages">pp 215-220</span>.</div>
<div class="article_info">E Ekvall Hansson, N-O Månsson, KA Ringsberg and A Håkansson. <span class="article_issue_date"></span>. <span class="article_title">Dizziness among patients with whiplash associated disorder - a randomized controlled trial.</span> (submitted)</div>
<div class="article_info">E Ekvall Hansson, N-O Månsson, KA Ringsberg and A Håkansson. <span class="article_issue_date"></span>. <span class="article_title">Falls among dizzy patients in primary health care - an intervention study with control group.</span> (submitted)</div>

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Health Sciences

Free keywords

  • Medicin (människa och djur)
  • Medicine (human and vertebrates)
  • Physiotherapy
  • Dizziness
  • Primary health care

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