A person suffering from vertigo usually has a sense of spinning and dizziness. Vertigo is a symptom of a range of conditions. You may experience it when you have problems within your brain, inner ear, or sensory nerve pathways.
Dizziness/vertigo can occur at any age, but it is more common among people over the age of 65.
Dizziness/vertigo may be temporary or long-term. For example, it may occur as a symptom of an ear infection or during pregnancy. Vertigo may also occur in people who have Meniere’s disease.
The feeling that vertigo brings can be disorienting and very unsettling. It is one thing to have a queasy feeling when you’re jetting off in an airplane and another thing to feel disoriented and dizzy when you are getting out of bed or walking between rooms.
If you experience vertigo regularly, you must consider finding a healthcare professional that focuses on correcting the upper cervical spine, aka the top of the neck. It could be the key to relieving your secondary conditions and regaining total control over your life.
In this article, we will consider how Foundational Correction using upper cervical chiropractic care can help with dizziness/vertigo, but first, let’s look at the basics.
What is vertigo?
Vertigo is simply a sensation of dizziness — one that feels like you are spinning. Someone suffering from vertigo usually feels like the surrounding environment or room is spinning in circles.
A person may experience vertigo when they look down from a height. However, this term is mainly used to describe consistent or temporary spells of dizziness caused by brain or inner ear problems.
Vertigo is not an illness. Instead, it is a symptom of an underlying condition. Many conditions can cause vertigo.
Symptoms of vertigo
The primary symptom of vertigo is dizziness. The dizziness is worsened with head movement. Patients usually describe it as a spinning sensation, with their immediate environment moving about.
Common symptoms of vertigo include:
· Vomiting
· Nausea
· Increased sweating
What causes vertigo?
The causes of vertigo may differ from person to person. However, most cases are associated with a build-up of fluid in the inner ear. This is because your inner ear houses a pervasive cochlea system, as well as the vestibular system.
The vestibular system is a sensory system that transmits essential information about your body's position, balance, and orientation to the brain.
When there is an excess of fluid in the inner ear, the effectiveness of the vestibular system becomes compromised, resulting in the spinning sensation or dizziness associated with vertigo.
The connection between a Foundational Shift and vertigo/dizziness
Foundational Shifts can contribute to dizziness and vertigo in several ways.
· Ear function is the primary way an upper cervical misalignment, aka a Foundational Shift, can trigger vertigo. These minor shifts of the upper neck bones can affect ear function since it is highly involved in the procession of spatial orientation. In addition, the shift may cause changes to the soft tissue that affect your eustachian tubes. This affects the ability of the ears to drain correctly. The excess fluid pooled in the inner ear then causes vertigo.
· Brainstem function — subtle shifts of the upper neck can place pressure on the brainstem. The brainstem is a vital component of the central nervous system deeply involved in signal transmission throughout the body. Therefore, it can affect how your body interprets signals associated with spatial orientation and balance, thus resulting in dizziness or vertigo.
· Cerebral blood flow — Foundational Shifts can affect blood flow to the brain. This is because the top neck bone (atlas vertebra) helps with the transport of blood through the vertebral foramen (loops on the side of the atlas). The vertebral foramen provides a safe pathway for the arteries. If some parts of the brain are deprived of oxygen, then the affected person may experience dizziness.
How does Foundational Correction help with dizziness and vertigo?
Foundational Correction emphasizes removing obstructions on spinal nerves, thus helping to address the primary cause of vertigo. Unlike other forms of treatment, Foundational Correction does not just treat the secondary conditions (symptoms). Instead, the goal is to arrest every underlying cause of vertigo and help your body naturally heal from it.
Foundational Correction focuses on all forms of vertigo: central vertigo (which includes treating benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) and peripheral vertigo treatment. The goal of the Foundational Chiropractor is to facilitate the natural healing of your body.
To get started, your Foundational Chiropractor must first locate and analyze your upper cervical spine. Note that vertigo is usually related to spine problems. To detect a misalignment, the doctor will carry out a range of objective diagnostic tests. After detecting a Foundational Shift, digital radiographs of the upper cervical spine will be performed. The aim is to determine the angle and precise direction of the misaligned spinal segments. Once located, a non-invasive plan will be formulated to correct the area back to normal specifically.
After realigning your foundation (the upper cervical spine), your body will heal the inflamed soft tissue, thus restoring the proper function of your vestibular nerve and inner ear.
References
Iwasaki, S., & Yamasoba, T. (2014). Dizziness and Imbalance in the Elderly: Age-related Decline in the Vestibular System. Aging and Disease, 6(1), 38–47. https://doi.org/10.14336/AD.2014.0128
Barin, K., & Dodson, E. E. (2011). Dizziness in the elderly. Otolaryngologic clinics of North America, 44(2), 437–x. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2011.01.013
