The Epley Omniax

The Epley Omniax System is a software-guided patient positioning system designed to accurately diagnose and effectively treat disorders known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). In any year an estimated 15 million Americans suffer from vestibular (inner ear) vertigo, often with debilitating symptoms. The Epley Omniax System offers hope for the chronically dizzy by providing a means to accurately diagnose and treat the causes of positional vertigo.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Who is it for? The Omniax is for treatment of patients with positional vertigo. Patients typically describe a spinning sensation that is related to rolling over in bed or looking up or down quickly.

2. Is it guaranteed to help me? There is never a guarantee in any medical condition. We have been able to achieve an extremely high success rate in treatment of benign positional vertigo with the use of the Omniax.

3. I am not dizzy right now. Will the Omniax help me to prevent further attacks? We suggest that if you are not dizzy currently you should probably wait until another vertigo attack occurs.

4. How many times does it take to be treated? Most patients can be treated successfully in one session but frequently a second session is needed to be sure that all the crystals have been successfully removed from the balance canals. Sometimes a third session is also needed depending on the severity of the condition.

5. How long does it take? An Omniax treatment session takes approximately 1/2 hour.

6. Do I need someone to come with me when I have my treatment? It is best to come with someone so you do not have to drive home after treatment. Most patients feel fine after they get off the chair but we do recommend not immediately driving home.

7. Do I need to see the doctor first? It is important that you get evaluated first by Dr. Arrigg prior to treatment. We do not make exceptions. An accurate diagnosis is very important for successful treatment.

8. Will I be able to be seen by the doctor and treated on the Omniax the same day? Usually not due to time constraints. Occasionally, schedules can be accommodated if there is a cancellation but this is unusual.

9. If I don't have positional vertigo, can I still be seen? Yes. We evaluate many different forms of dizziness including Ménière's syndrome, vestibular neuronitis, labyrinthitis and migraine associated dizziness.

10. Will my insurance cover the cost of treatment.? Evaluation and treatment with the use of the Omniax generally are covered but of course depends on the type of insurance that you have and your deductible. Typically, office visit codes, 92541 and 92542 and some physical therapy codes e.g. 97001 or 95992 may also be used. you are encouraged to check with your insurance company prior to makng an appointment.

Invented by Dr. John Epley (developer of the now-common “Epley Maneuver” for treating BPPV) the Omniax System derives its name from the 360-degree multi-axial positioning it provides. The software-driven positioning system uses infrared goggles to assist in analyzing abnormal eye movement patterns that are associated with the shifting of loose particles in the inner-ear canals that cause BPPV. The Omniax System is unique in that provides the ability to rotate patients in virtually any position, including a 360-degree flip.

The Omniax System is the first device to offer precise nystagmus-based evaluation. It provides unmatched ability to detect, differentiate, treat and manage balance and dizziness disorders. Until now, BPPV diagnosis and treatment has involved a significant amount of educated guesswork and, if it is BPPV, manual maneuvers which tend to be both difficult to accomplish and imprecise. When BPPV is diagnosed, the current standard of care is to perform the Epley Maneuver manually.

Epley explains that balance disorders often involve loose particles in more than one inner ear canal or particles in a canal other than the posterior canal. Occasionally the problem is caused by some other issue such as damage to the brain or a problem elsewhere in the ear. Too often, if the Epley Maneuver doesn’t solve the problem, patients are told there is nothing that can be done and they need to learn to live with it.

With the Omniax System, a physician can now rule in or out various causes of vestibular vertigo and if it is determined that the cause is particles in the inner ear canal, the Omniax System provides a means to more easily and more effectively treat it. The Omniax System provides both diagnostic and treatment capabilities and its multi-axial rotational capability allows for more comprehensive treatment where manual maneuvers are problematic, such as when the patient is frail, obese, or disabled. The Omniax allows patients to be suspended in secure positions on a 360-degree axis. This allows ease and safety of movement, as well as more accurate diagnoses than traditional methods.