Our Services
Our Comprehensive Care
At Dr. Daniel R. Schumaier & Associates, we offer a comprehensive range of audiological services to address your hearing and balance needs. Our expert team provides complete vestibular evaluations, thorough hearing assessments, and fall risk prevention consultations. We specialize in cerumen (earwax) removal, management of vestibular migraines, and treatment for cervical dizziness. Our practice is equipped to handle various balance disorders, including vertigo and motion sickness. For those struggling with hearing loss, we offer customized hearing aid fittings and adjustments. We also proudly serve our local industries with our Industrial Hearing Conservation program, helping to protect workers’ hearing health. Whatever your audiological concerns, our experienced professionals are here to provide personalized care and effective solutions.
OUR SERVICES
Complete Vestibular Evaluation
Hearing Evaluation
Fall Risk and Prevention
Cerumen Removal
Vestibular Migraines
Cervical Dizziness
Vertigo, Imbalance
Motion Sickness
Industrial Hearing Conservation
Complete Vestibular Evaluation
GANS Sensory Organization Performance Test (GANS SOP)
- Description: Series of test positions that establish a pattern of the patient’s postural stability.
- Considers: Inputs from the somatosensory, visual, and vestibular systems.
- Primary Tests:
- Romberg: With Vision / Vision Denied
- Sharpened Romberg: With Vision / Vision Denied
- Stepping Fukuda: Vision Denied
- Clinical Test of Sensory Integration for Balance (CTSIB): With Vision / Vision Denied
- Utilizes: GANS Sensory Foam Block.
Auditory Brainstem Response Test (ABR)
- Description: Assesses the integrity of Cranial Nerve VIII (Audio/Vestibular Nerve).
- Procedure: Measures the time it takes for a stimulus to travel from the cochlea to the brain.
- Test Setup:
- Electrodes placed on the high forehead (Vertex), low forehead (Ground), and a gold foil tip-trode in each ear.
Electrocochleography (ECochG)
- Description: Assesses the hydromechanical status of the cochlea by analyzing a smaller portion of the ABR.
- Testing For: Endolymphatic Hydrops / Meniere’s disease.
- Test Setup: Same electrode montage as ABR.
Cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMP)
- Function: Tests saccular function and screens for Superior Semi-circular Canal Dehiscence.
- Pathway: Vestibulo-Colic Reflex pathway between the Saccule and the Sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM).
- Procedure: Uses sound to stimulate the saccule and electrodes placed on the left and right SCM, Vertex, and Ground.
- Special Notes: Ipsilateral response; robust responses may not be seen in patients over 70.
Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (oVEMP)
- Function: Tests utricular function and integrity of the superior branch of the vestibular nerve.
- Procedure: Uses sound to stimulate the utricle, with electrodes on the inferior oblique ocular muscles, Vertex, and Ground.
- Special Notes: Contralateral response; not recommended for patients over 65 due to degradation of responses.
Videonystagmography (VNG)
- Purpose: Assesses vestibular function and determines if the lesion is central or peripheral.
- Tools: Video goggles that record eye movements.
- Tests Included:
- Oculo-motor (Random Saccades, Sinusoidal Tracking, Optokinetic Reflex)
- Gaze (Gaze Left, Right, Up, Down)
- Positional Testing (Head Right/Body Right, Head Left/Body Left)
- Calorics (Uses air to test horizontal semi-circular canal response)
Rotary Chair
- Purpose: Measures the gain of the Vestibular-Ocular Reflex (VOR) for the horizontal canals.
- Uses: Gold standard for assessing bilateral vestibular weakness and monitors central compensation.
Modified Hallpike
- Purpose: Tests for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).
- Procedure: Series of supported positions to ensure comfort and safety during the test.
Cerumen Removal
Ear wax, or cerumen, is the body’s natural means of lubricating your ears and keeping dirt and debris away from the eardrum. This sticky substance can build up in the ear and cause hearing loss. A hearing loss caused by cerumen is 100% treatable. We will either use a curette, a small LED light with a loop on the end, or the Earigator™ machine that allows us to use temperature regulated water to gently flush out the ear canal.