What happened?
A woman underwent surgery for a vestibular schwannoma at the cerebellopontine angle and experienced post-operative balance and coordination problems alongside other neurological symptoms. The report describes vestibular rehabilitation integrated with conventional neurophysiotherapy.
Clinical findings
- Post-operative balance and mobility difficulties were assessed using the Berg Balance Scale and Motion Sensitivity Quotient.
- Baseline Berg Balance Scale score was 18 and Motion Sensitivity Quotient score was 48.
- The case also described facial muscle involvement requiring additional rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation described in the report
- Vestibular and balance rehabilitation included head movement, gaze-stabilization (VOR), habituation and progressively challenging standing balance exercises.
- Conventional neurophysiotherapy included facial PNF, facial-expression exercises, sitting balance, sit-to-stand, coordination and gait training.
Reported outcomes
- The authors reported improvement in balance and coordination and greater ability to perform daily activities with minimal assistance.
- The report describes improvement after surgery and the rehabilitation programme; it does not isolate the effect of physiotherapy from surgical recovery.
Clinical lessons to consider
- Select vestibular exercises according to the patient's symptoms and tolerance, with planned progression.
- Include balance, transfers, gait and facial function where relevant rather than focusing on dizziness alone.
- Use validated outcome measures to track change over time.
Limitations — what this case cannot tell us
- Single case report; improvement may reflect both tumour excision and rehabilitation.
- The reported protocol should not be copied without considering post-operative status and specialist precautions.
Original source
Vaishnavi B. Warutkar, Snehal Samal, Prishita Koul. “Impact of Vestibular and Balance Rehabilitation Therapy Along With Conventional Physiotherapy in a Case of Vestibular Schwannoma With CP Angle Tumor: A Case Report.” Cureus, 2023. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.45224
View the original publicationThis page is an independently written educational summary, not a reproduction of the full paper. Check the original article for complete methods, outcome tables, references and licensing.