The room is spinning. I’m feeling nauseous… HELP!
Vertigo is the sensation of spinning and dizziness, when in fact you are not moving at all. You will typically feel as though your head, or the room around you, is moving. Common symptoms that can accompany vertigo include neck pain/tightness, nausea, headache, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), fullness in the ear, or balance issues.
I often find that when patients come into my clinic with vertigo symptoms, they’ve previously visited their family doctor or the E.R. and have been administered medication, which most report did not help them. This is why they find themselves in a chiropractic office.
It is not always clear of what causes vertigo, which is why assessment is very important. Most patients say “it came out of nowhere,” however, ruling out different causes is still important in order to treat the root of the issue – viruses, bacterial infections, disorders of the inner ear. Commonly, the issue has to do with dislodged crystals of the inner ear, which therefore gives you improper feedback about where you are in the space around you, similar to what would happen upon riding a roller coaster loop. The issue is, the loop doesn’t seem to end for the patient and causes constant dizziness! This is called “BPPV”– Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. Whatever the cause, the issue can often be resolved within a chiropractic office, receiving significant relief in often as little as one treatment. The goal of the chiropractic treatment is to “reposition” the dislodged crystals back to where they belong.
What a VERTIGO treatment would look like after assessment:
- Acupuncture of the upper cervical region
- Class IV Laser therapy of upper cervical region
- Soft tissue therapy, mobilization/manipulation of the upper cervical spine
- Epley’s Maneuvre – a technique designed to reposition the dislodged crystals in the inner ear.
- Patient is instructed to maintain an upright position for a prolonged period of time, in order to avoid disrupting the dislodged crystals.
*I typically suggest an early morning appointment, that way it is easier to stay upright for the rest of the day.
If you have any questions, never hesitate to ask! We love educating our patients.
-Dr. Daniela
