Can a Chiropractor Help With Vertigo?

(Photo : CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash)

You may be prepared to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that you never again have to suffer from vertigo if feeling disoriented has become a regular event in your life. It's time to take this very troubling and crippling ailment seriously.

This may be the reason you're looking into whether chiropractic adjustments can treat vertigo. To summarize, yes, a chiropractor can help with vertigo.

The feeling of sudden motion or spinning that is out of sync with reality is referred to as vertigo in medicine. When sitting still, a person with vertigo could experience the sensation of spinning.

In addition, the person can experience a sense of the room whirling. It frequently starts soon after a head movement which is dizziness.

One of the most frequent causes for people to visit a doctor is vertigo. It may have an overall effect of 10% on the population.

But as a person ages, this condition becomes more typical. Up to 40% of those aged 40 years and above will occasionally feel lightheaded. Approximately 2.5% of emergency department visits in the United States are associated with vertigo, according to a 10-year survey of emergency rooms.

Every year, one in four elderly aged above 65 years experiences a fall often because of vertigo or dizziness. In fact, a study conducted in Sweden found that the risk of falling is 16.5% and the incidence of dizziness is 17.8% in those below the age of 80 years. However, dizziness occurs 31% more frequently in people aged above 80 years with 31.7% higher risk for falls.

The increasing evidence shows that patients who receive chiropractic care for vertigo symptoms have improved balance, decreased dizziness, decreased neck discomfort, and overall improvement of health which may interest you if you're seeking for a natural way to treat vertigo.

The first step, however, is to understand more about vertigo and its causes. It is a very difficult illness to treat for which doctors often struggle to provide patients with answers, and it requires a holistic treatment approach.

Understanding vertigo and its causes

Associated signs and symptoms of vertigo:

Nausea
Vomiting
Spinning sensation
Feeling lightheaded
Balance problems
Tinnitus (ringing sound in the ear)
Motion sickness
Headaches
Decreased hearing or a feeling of fullness in the ear
Nystagmus in which the eyes move side to side involuntarily

Two types of vertigo: central and peripheral

Causes of peripheral vertigo:

The body's ability to maintain equilibrium is mostly controlled by the inner ear. Therefore, symptoms like vertigo might occur from an inner ear issue. The vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII), which connects the inner ear to the brainstem, or the inner ear itself may be at fault in peripheral vertigo.

Some causes are:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

When ear crystals become loose, it frequently results in BPPV. Vertigo occurs if crystals get inside the three loop-shaped canals of the inner ear. Vertigo may also occur because of head injuries, ear infections, surgery, or extended bed rest.

Side effects of medicine

Diuretics (water pills), aminoglycoside antibiotics, certain cancer medications, and salicylates are among the medications that might cause the peripheral type of vertigo.

Neck or head injury

Following head or neck injuries such as a concussion or whiplash, dizziness usually occurs. A diagnosis of post-concussion syndrome is possible.

Vertebrate neuropathy

This disorder may result from vestibulocochlear nerve inflammation. The accompanying vertigo typically lasts a week. Later assaults could be less severe.

Labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis causes inflammation of the vestibulocochlear nerve or inner ear, similar to vestibular neuronitis.

Meniere's syndrome

This is an uncommon vestibular disorder that results in vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus (ear ringing), and a pressure-like sensation in the ear that is afflicted. Attacks of vertigo can linger for several hours or even days and can be so bad that they can lead to falls, nausea, and vomiting.

Causes of central vertigo

Balance and spatial orientation problems, such as vertigo, can be caused by a problem with the brainstem, which receives signals from the vestibulocochlear nerve.

Central vertigo can be caused by:

Migraines

Up to 40% of migraine sufferers experience vertigo as a symptom. Vertigo may be a symptom of vestibular migraines; however, the typical migraine headache is not present. Therefore, they are called as "silent migraines." However, regular migraines can also be accompanied by vertigo.

Side effects of medicine

Anticonvulsants, antidepressants, analgesics, anesthetics, anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals, sedatives, tranquillizers, blood pressure medications, contraceptives, and diabetic medications can frequently produce central vertigo. Alcohol abuse can also result in central vertigo.

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disorder that affects the central nervous system. Generally, it is thought to be immune mediated in origin. The myelin coating that covers the nerves is selectively destroyed by the body's attack on the nerves, leading to scar tissue, resulting in degenerative nerve diseases and producing several symptoms. Usually, one of the initial symptoms is vertigo.

Blood vessel disease

Vertigo can be caused by various blood vessel conditions, such as peripheral artery disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), and atherosclerosis (clogged arteries or narrowing of the arteries).

Stroke

When the brain's blood flow is interrupted, a stroke occurs. If a stroke is likely, urgent medical assistance should be sought because it is a very serious condition.

Tumors

Central vertigo may be caused by brain or brainstem tumors, both malignant and noncancerous. The vestibulocochlear nerve may also be affected by a tumor, which could result in peripheral vertigo.

Seizures

Vertigo may occur several times a day as a result of the unusual disorder, epileptic vertigo. This occurs when the temporal lobe is harmed by a head injury. Injuries that result in epileptic vertigo are typically severe enough to make a person unconscious.

What kind of doctor cures vertigo?

The management of vertigo often requires multiple specialists coming together in the assessment and treatment of the condition. They include ENT surgeons, neurologists, internists, and orthopedic surgeons.

What are the medical treatments for vertigo?

A clinician may use the Epley maneuver, a sequence of maneuvers, to try to get the ear crystals to fall back into place in patients with positional vertigo. Usually, a medical professional or physical therapist will help a patient perform the right movements.

A simpler technique known as the home Epley maneuver has been created so that someone can attempt to reset their ear crystals at home.

For patients with persistent vertigo, most doctors would advise taking a water pill (diuretic) because fluid retention, which is frequently attributed to this issue, is reduced by these medications.

Fluid retention reduction is now a common medical procedure. However, as already mentioned, these and other drugs may actually make you feel lightheaded.

Doctors may advise inner ear injections or even surgery in extreme circumstances, such as a severe case of Meniere's disease, to reduce fluid retention inside the ear.

However, whether we're talking about surgery or realigning the ear crystals, all of these require treating symptoms that have already occurred. Some patients would prefer to use natural remedies and preventative treatment strategies to avoid the next episode of dizziness.

How can a chiropractor help with vertigo?

Vertigo caused by various reasons may be successfully treated with chiropractic care. The higher cervical vertebrae are frequently to blame if fluid accumulation in the inner ear is causing vertigo.

The inner ear is connected to the upper cervical vertebrae by nerves, and if there is a misalignment or obstruction in the cervical vertebrae, the inner ear cannot function normally. We also know that a blocked or irregular flow of cerebral spinal fluid frequently results from subluxations in the spine.

In the end, the obstruction of this fluid may result in the obstruction of fluid in the inner ear, producing uncomfortable pressure that appears as vertigo symptoms such as nausea, headaches, dizziness, and disorientation.

As we know, the neck and spine are frequently the cause of symptoms that affect the head and ears. Therefore, attempts to simply treat inner ear problems with techniques for pain alleviation or drainage frequently fail.

Chiropractic care identifies and addresses the underlying cause of the issue. This typically refers to chiropractic adjustments that assist in realigning the upper cervical vertebrae completely.

According to research, individuals respond favorably to chiropractic spinal manipulation therapy for persistent, unresponsive cervicogenic vertigo.

In reality, chiropractors use various specialized methods intended to help manage vertigo. Your chiropractor will use various adjustment techniques, depending on your specific symptoms, to remove any obstruction that might result in fluid accumulations causing vertigo.

Many people have noted that their vertigo symptoms go away after just one chiropractic appointment. Although encouraging, this shouldn't be used as justification for skipping a full chiropractic routine.

Even though relief frequently comes right away, this does not always imply that the issue has been resolved.

What it does suggest is there has been enough correct realignment to assist disperse some of the fluid that caused strain. Months or years of pressure caused by a misalignment can only be effectively corrected by completing a full treatment plan.

Changing to natural remedies: what does research say?

Vertigo typically develops before major or minor head or neck trauma. Vertigo and dizziness are frequently caused by concussions, whiplash, slip and fall, sports, and other head and neck trauma, irrespective of whether the symptoms appear right away or years later.

There is therefore strong evidence that an upper neck misalignment may be associated with vertigo and other related problems. We'll examine a few case studies:

Study demonstrates the benefits of upper cervical-specific therapy

In a study involving 60 patients with vertigo, 12 of them experienced significant improvement in frequency and intensity and 48 of them experienced total relief after receiving upper cervical chiropractic therapy. Notably, 56 out of 60 participants could recollect a specific head or neck injury that had occurred earlier before the onset of vertigo. This study demonstrated the benefits of upper cervical-specific therapy and helped to link vertigo to injuries that result in upper cervical misalignments.

Large studies on Meniere's disease

A second study including 139 patients with Meniere's disease was conducted. A total of 136 people had a significant decrease in the severity of their vertigo and other symptoms after just one or two adjustments. Patients discovered even more advantages with continued treatment. As a result, after receiving treatment for 2 years, the average intensity of vertigo attacks decreased from 8.5 out of 10 to just 1.4 out of 10. All 139 patients had previously undetected upper cervical misalignments caused by car accidents or other whiplash-like injuries.

A few years later, an even larger and lengthier investigation was performed. A total of 300 patients with Meniere's illness participated in this trial of 6 years. In addition, 291 out of 300 patients (or 97%) showed a marked decrease in vertigo intensity. A 90% improvement was observed when the severity was reduced over a 6-year period, dropping from an average of 8.5 to just 0.8 out of 10. Again, the study concentrated on people who had experienced whiplash damage and vertigo. The study concluded by advising all vertigo patients with a history of trauma to visit an upper cervical chiropractor for a check-up.

More research

There have been several individual case studies in addition to these bigger ones. For instance, a 45-year-old man had upper cervical treatment 5 years after receiving a formal Meniere's diagnosis despite having been experiencing symptoms for 12 years. He reported an 85% improvement in his symptoms after 5 months of higher cervical adjustments.

Another instance includes a 52-year-old man who experienced vertigo because of Meniere's disease in addition to tension headaches, back pain, and other medical issues. Only four changes were made and 60% improvement was seen. Studies like these and others demonstrated the effectiveness of various upper cervical chiropractic treatments.

How does the upper neck connect?

The studies mentioned above have several things in common. These variables include drainage of cerebrospinal fluid, blood flow to the brain, and brainstem activity. Misalignments in this area have been shown to affect cerebrospinal fluid drainage and blood flow to the brain, according to upright MRIs. All of these things can cause dizziness.

It is logical that addressing the alignment issue that results in these circumstances can allow the body to heal. The severity of the vertigo may lessen as the wound heals. As a result, patients frequently see an immediate reduction in vertigo severity followed by gradual improvements over time.

How can PEMF therapy help vertigo?

How does PEMF therapy work? Using pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy, your body may naturally speed up the healing process and repair any damaged cells.

Like a battery, each cell in your body has an electric charge. These cells may begin to drain and lose charge over time, particularly if there is physical damage or scar tissue present. Other factors that may contribute to this discharge include inflammation, increased pollutants, and even poor nutrition.

The electromagnetic field used in PEMF therapy recharges your cells and has a number of advantages, such as reduction in nerve pain, muscle pain, the amount of time taken to heal sports, and pain associated with neuropathy with an increase in foot sensation and improved circulation and oxygenation in the body. These benefits can help in the reduction of dizzy spells and help improve energy levels and overall health.

PEMF therapy is almost universally beneficial because it is safe and noninvasive. However, it is crucial to check with your doctor to see if you qualify first.

Sentient Element PEMF device:

One of the most cutting-edge and reasonably priced PEMF devices on the market is Sentient Element. You have the option to select from deep penetrating, brief sessions with low intensity to any other type of session you desire. We feel that we have succeeded in making Sentient Element the most potent and highly effective PEMF device.

The best thing about Sentient Element is that you can enter your desired frequencies through several free applications and programs on a tablet or a smartphone.

Here are a few reasons to select Sentient Element for providing your patients PEMF therapy.

It is the strongest PEMF device available

No other PEMF device even comes close to Sentient Element in terms of power. It has a 2500-watt amplifier that can generate an electromagnetic field pulse that is astonishingly potent.

It is the market's most affordable PEMF device

To ensure that Sentient Element is the cheapest PEMF device, you can check its costs against those of other well-known devices currently on the market. If you'd like, we can give you comparison charts.

It comes with security hardware

Sentient Element includes built-in overheat and amplifier overdrive protection, both of which help to safeguard the gadget and extend its lifespan.

Lifetime warranty

We know how good our device is because we make it by hand; it is not an average device. Thus, we offer a lifetime warranty on Sentient Element. You can send the device back to us if something is wrong with it and we'll repair it free of costs.

Dual coil system

We have good news if you feel that the power that Sentient Element generates is insufficient. To enhance the PEMF's surface area, you can modify the gadget by adding another coil.

Widest frequency range available

While the majority of PEMF machines on the market can only produce frequencies of 1-50 Hz, Sentient Element offers an astounding range of 7-10,000 Hz.