Vestibular Skills Bootcamp: Fundamentals of BPPV

This full-day interactive skills bootcamp (7.5 credit hours) is designed specifically for beginners to vestibular rehabilitation to review the foundational clinical examination and management of individuals presenting to rehabilitation with suspected Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), the most common vestibular disorder. Participants will engage in case-based learning and practical hands-on labs to develop clinical reasoning skills, integrating subjective history with objective examination findings. They will learn to formulate differential diagnoses and create appropriate treatment plans for patients with BPPV. Extensive hands-on practice will focus on bedside vestibular screening techniques, canalith repositioning maneuvers for positional vertigo, and post-repositioning treatment planning using evidence-based management strategies.

Throughout the course, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of BPPV, including its underlying mechanisms, common symptoms, and its critical role in vestibular rehabilitation. The curriculum is designed to enhance clinical skills and build confidence in both assessment and treatment.

By bridging didactic knowledge with clinical application, this bootcamp-style course prepares clinicians to manage BPPV effectively in their practice settings. By the end of the course, participants will leave equipped with the skills necessary to apply their understanding of BPPV within the context of vestibular rehabilitation, making it an essential foundation for any rehabilitation specialist aiming to enhance their practice and improve patient outcomes.

Instructional Level

Basic/Beginner

Target Audience

This course is designed for licensed Physical Therapists (PTs). Other appropriate participants may include student PTs and other licensed medical professionals involved in the rehabilitation of individuals following a vestibular and/or concussive event (e.g., OT, ATC, PA-C, MD, AuD, SLP, etc.). Course content is not appropriate for Licensed Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA) and student PTAs.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Identify key subjective history elements that indicate the need for vestibular screening and BPPV examination.

• Differentiates BPPV from other common vestibular disorders based on subjective and objective findings to formulate an appropriate differential diagnosis.

• Demonstrate proper technique for bedside vestibular screening and BPPV examination procedures.

• Accurately diagnose BPPV based on clinical practice guidelines.

• Demonstrate proper technique for canalith repositioning maneuvers.

• Create appropriate and comprehensive treatment plans for individuals with BPPV.

• Demonstrate proper cuing of post-repositioning techniques which may include activities for gaze stabilization, balance, and habituation.

• Evaluate treatment outcomes to identify when a current care plan should be modified.

• Apply a clinical decision-making framework to determine when referral or further medical consultation is warranted.

  
  

Course Outline

08:00-09:00 Recognizing vestibular dysfunction and introduction to BPPV

09:00-09:45 Case-based learning: linking subjective history with vestibular differential diagnoses

09:45-10:15 Bedside Vestibular Examination - Demonstration

10:15-10:30 BREAK

10:30-11:00 Bedside Examination - Lab

11:00-12:15 BPPV assessment techniques - Lab

12:15-01:15 LUNCH

01:15-01:45 Case-based learning: matching vestibular differential diagnosis with treatment planning through oculomotor videos

01:45-02:45 BPPV treatment techniques - Lab

02:45-03:00: BREAK

03:00-04:00 Post-repositioning management of BPPV: Assessment - Lab

04:00-04:45 Post-repositioning management of BPPV: Treatment techniques assessment - Lab

04:45-05:00 Course wrap-up and Q&A

05:00: Course adjournment

Total contact hours: 7.5

Speaker Bio

Jennifer Stoskus, PT, DPT, AVPT, NCS is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Advanced Vestibular Physical Therapist, and Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy with over 15 years of clinical experience in neuro-vestibular rehabilitation, including evidence-based management of vestibular, balance, and post-concussive disorders. Dr. Stoskus is an active educator and regularly presents at local and national conferences on topics related to the use of rehabilitation technologies, digital physical therapy, and vestibular rehabilitation.

For the past decade, Dr. Stoskus has been employed in various capacities within the rehabilitation technology industry – including full-time and consulting roles – focused on clinical affairs, education, and commercialization, with expertise in postural control assessment, force plate technology and computerized dynamic posturography, virtual reality for assessment and intervention, and head-mounted sensors for movement analysis and other sensorimotor control.

As an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Dr. Stoskus was selected as the steering committee for the Frontiers in Rehabilitation Science and Technology (FiRST) Network, actively contributes to the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy's Vestibular EDGE outcome measure Task Force, and participates in the ANPT Vestibular Special Interest Group (SIG) online education team.

She is a founding member and past co-chair of APTANJ's Vestibular SIG and founding member of the re-established APTANJ Researcher Committee. Currently pursuing her PhD in Health Sciences at Seton Hall University, where she has also previously worked as adjunct faculty and guest lecturer in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, Dr. Stoskus’s research focuses on the role of technology in rehabilitation practice and technology implementation behaviors of physical therapists.