Can a Chiropractor Help with Vertigo?

We all get dizzy. Whether it be from getting up to fast or a quick drop of blood pressure; we all know what it’s like to feel dizzy. Now, imagine always feeling dizzy. That is what is like for people who suffer from fequent bouts of vertigo.

People who have vertigo feel dizziness combined with a relentless feeling of movement (although they are standing still). This health condition negatively affects a person’s life on a day to day basis by causing problems, such as hearing loss; the feeling of being sick; difficulty walking; and even problems with their vision.

What is Vertigo?

To understand if chiropractors can help cure vertigo, we must first understand what it is. According to Web MD: Vertigo is a sensation of feeling off-balance. If you have these dizzy spells, you might feel like you are spinning or that the world around you is spinning. Vertigo happens when the communication between ear and brain is hindered. In this article, you will learn about how your spine may be a way that chiropractors can help with treating vertigo.

What causes vertigo?

Vertigo is caused by an inner ear problem.

Some causes include:

Meniere’s Disease: an inner ear disorder caused by an accumulation of fluid and varying tension in the ear. This causes ringing in the ears and hearing loss.
Vestibular Neuritis or Labyrinthitis: Usually a viral infestation is located in the inner ear and most likely related to infection. This will affect the body’s sense of balance because the infection causes inflammation in the inner ear around the nerves.
Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: (aka: BPPV) occurs when certain head movements trigger vertigo. Signals sent by the inner ear to the brain relating to gravity. This affects the balance of the body.
Positioning Maneuvers: because of the vestibulocochlear system, the internal ear houses the body’s true balance center. The vestibulocochlear system is a complex system provides information to the central nervous system about your body’s posture and movement. The liquid-filled tubes lined with hair-like sensors in your ear provide the information. Because debris may accumulate there for some individuals, debris settles on areas inside of the tubes, and this results in vertigo for some people.

What is vertigo associated with?

Migraines
Head/Neck Injury
Brain Problems (i.e. stroke or tumor)
Certain Medications that can cause ear damage

Vertigo is usually caused by a shift in the position of your head.

Symptoms include:

Feeling Unbalanced
Spinning
Swaying
Tilting
Pulled into One Direction
Feeling Nauseated
Vomiting
Twitching Eye Movements
Headaches
Sweating
Ringing in the Ears
Hearing Loss

Many people seek chiropractic help to alleviate vertigo with adjustments or manipulations. People with cervical vertigo (which caused by improperly-moving joints in the cervical spine following a neck injury) will seek a chiropractor for relief from vertigo. Chiropractors are able to correct the problem with spinal manipulations. They realign the joints and vertebrae in the cervical spine by correcting the nervous pathways and allowing communication between the brain and ear.

Can chiropractic therapy help with your vertigo?

Yes. Chiropractor therapy practices may vary, but depending on what you want to focus on, there are ways your chiropractor can help with vertigo. Chiropractors help the body recover so that the patient can regain their sense of balance. By adjusting your spine, the nervous system is re-balanced.

Why is adjusting your spine a way to combat vertigo?

Spine adjustments help to correct vertigo because the nervous system controls all the information being sent to a person’s brain. Once a chiropractor adjusts your spine, your brain and body will be able to communicate more effectively.

Another way your chiropractor may help with your vertigo is by using the Epley Maneuver.

The Epley maneuver is a repositioning technique that is done at the chiropractic office. The purpose of this method is to allow the ear to return to the state is supposed to be.

Chiropractic adjustment and the Epley maneuver are non-invasive and two simple ways in which your chiropractor will help your body recover from vertigo.

When visiting your chiropractor, you may also be taught a few tricks and exercises to do from the comfort of your own home. These exercises help to benefit the vestibular system and how it connects to your brain.

One exercise is called the Brandt-Daroff exercise:

Sit in the middle of the bed with your feet on the floor. Turn your 45 degrees to the right.
Return to the starting position. Pause for 30 seconds.
Turn your head 45 degrees to the left. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the right side.
Return to the starting position. Pause for 30 seconds.
Complete one set of five on each side.

The team at Silverman Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Center™ in Miami is standing by and ready to help you to recover from Vertigo. Call to schedule a consultation today at 305-676-8525. You may also contact us online.