By Marcello Cherchi, MD PhD
The maneuver developed by Dr. Yoon Kyung Kim and colleagues (Kim et al. 2005) is used for treatment of the anterior canal. It is used less commonly than the modified (reverse) Semont maneuver.
The Figure below, adapted from Kim and colleagues (Kim et al. 2005), depicts the Kim maneuver for treating right-sided anterior canal BPPV. The perspective is from an examiner standing on the patient’s right side.
The following description of the Kim maneuver for treating right-sided anterior canal BPPV is adapted from Kim and colleagues (Kim et al. 2005):
- The patient starts in a sitting position with the head turned 45 degrees toward the patient’s unaffected (left) side.
- The patient’s trunk is lowered to a supine position, with the head hanging 30 degrees below the edge of the bed, and maintains this position for 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes, the head is elevated in a supine position while the head remains turned 45 degrees toward the patient’s unaffected (left) side, and maintains this position for 1 minute.
- The patient is returned to a sitting position, and the chin is tilted 30 degrees down.
The Figure below, adapted from resources at the University of Michigan, depicts the Kim maneuver for treating right-sided anterior canal BPPV. The perspective is from an examiner standing on the patient’s left side.
Figure : Kim maneuver for right-sided anterior canal BPPV. The perspective is from an examiner standing on the patient’s left side. Adapted from materials at the University of Michigan.
Kim maneuver, right anterior canal, videos
The Kim maneuver has been studied in a prospective trial with no control group (Kim et al. 2005).
References
Kim YK, Shin JE, Chung JW (2005) The effect of canalith repositioning for anterior semicircular canal canalithiasis. ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec 67: 56-60. doi: 10.1159/000084336
