Physical Therapy with Cawthorne-Cooksey Exercise for Reducing the Risk of Falling in Older People with Dizziness from Vestibular Hypofunction

Abstract

Falling is the main problem for the older people which brings about disability and admission to the hospital. A critical factor of falls is vestibular hypofunction disorder (VH) leads to dizziness, nystagmus, and instability. The disease results in impairment of balance, limitation of daily activities, and participation in the VH patient. The impairments require appropriate treatment and rehabilitation. Physical therapy uses the Cawthorne-Cooksey exercise for recovering because it reduces dizziness and improves balancing in the vestibular hypofunction patient. The Cawthorne-Cooksey exercise components are gaze stabilization exercise, habituation exercise, balance and gait training, and endurance. The exercise induces sensory substitution and physiologic habituation to encourage the mechanism of adaptation compensation in VH. At this moment, VH rehabilitation is unclear due to confusion in the physiology of the vestibular system, the pathology of VH, and the mechanics of the Cawthorne-Cooksey exercise. Accordingly, if the physical therapist and multidisciplinary have good information and understanding of the physiology, pathology, and mechanical of the Cawthorne-Cooksey exercise, it will be valuable for the elderly patient with VH disorder in increasing balancing ability and confidence in movement, decreasing the risk of falls, and improving the fine quality of life.