Summarize:

If you are experiencing vertigo and have recently been diagnosed with BPPV, you should to go to a doctor who will perform the Epley maneuver to reposition your inner ear crystals. A doctor or therapist is the only person who should do this maneuver if this is your first time experiencing BPPV. However, they will teach you how to perform it on yourself, just in case your symptoms return in the future. While you can do the maneuver at home (covered in Method Two of this article), going through the process with a doctor first will help you understand what it feels like to have the procedure done correctly. Trying at home without any context can actual further displace your ear crystals and make your vertigo worse! If you already know what this procedure feels like when done correctly, you can move to method two to refresh your memory on how to perform it. The doctor will seat you on the edge of a table or bed, with your head facing forward. Your doctor will then place one hand on each side of your head and will quickly move your head 45 degrees to the right. She will then immediately lie you down on the table so that your head is still in the 45 degree angle to the right. Your doctor will ask you to remain in this position for 30 seconds. Your head will be lying off the examination table or, if you have a pillow behind your back, your head will be on the table. Whatever level your head is resting at, the goal is to have your head lower than the rest of your body when you lie down. While you remain in the position she has just placed you in, she will reposition herself and then quickly rotate your head 90 degrees to the opposite side (which means that she will turn your head so that it is facing to the left). You should pay attention to any feelings of vertigo that you have. These will most likely stop after 30 seconds in this new position. Next the doctor will ask you to roll onto your left side, while she rapidly rotates your head to the right (your nose will now be angled at the floor). To visualize what you will be doing, imagine that you are lying on your right side on your bed, but your face is pointing down into your pillow. You will hold this position for 30 seconds. Double check the rotation side and nose direction. Note that if your doctor determines the problem is on the right, they will rotate your body and head to the left, and vice versa. After 30 seconds, your doctor will quickly lift you into a sitting position. You should not feel any vertigo at this time; if you do, this maneuver can be repeated until you are no longer having vertigo. Sometimes it takes more than one maneuver to get all of your inner ear crystals back into their proper places. Note that, for BPPV on the LEFT side, the same procedure should be performed with the sides reversed. After your appointment with the doctor, you might be given a soft neck brace that you will most likely be instructed to wear for the rest of the day. Your doctor will also give you instructions on how to sleep and move around so that you do not experience vertigo again. These instructions are covered in Part 3 of this article.
Schedule an appointment with your doctor if this is your first Epley maneuver. Understand why it is important to have the maneuver done by a doctor before trying it yourself. Be prepared to feel vertigo in the first step of the maneuver. Be ready for the doctor to rotate your head again. Roll onto your side. Return to a sitting position. Allow yourself to heal after the maneuver is performed.