As a Phoenix, AZ vertigo chiropractor, I have become aware that most patients cannot identify the cause of their vertigo. Vertigo is a symptom that can stem from an underlying condition. These conditions can be due to a problem in the central nervous system or vestibular system. The vestibular system includes the inner ear, which helps keep the body’s balance and spatial orientation.
To help patients determine the vestibular disorder they may have that brings about vertigo, I’ve listed the eight common conditions associated with the symptom. At the end of the blog, I’ve shared a natural solution that can help patients attain lasting relief.
1. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
The acronym for this is BPPV. It is also known as positional vertigo. BPPV is due to the traveling of small calcium carbonate crystals outside the curved canals of the inner ear. These tiny crystals help in the recognition of movement and spatial orientation. When they stay in the wrong place in the ear, vertigo may happen. BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo. Specific changes in head position such as rolling over in bed may trigger vertigo in patients with BPPV.
2. Autoimmune Ear Disease
When you have an autoimmune disorder, your body is attacking itself, leading to dysfunction of the immune system. Your body may mistake normal systems such as the inner ear as an intruder. An attack on the ear can lead to various vestibular symptoms and vertigo.
3. Migraine Associated Vertigo
About 25% of migraine patients also experience vestibular symptoms like vertigo, according to various studies. The condition is called vestibular migraine. This type of migraine may occur with or without a headache. In general, migraines are a neurological disorder and are not dependent on the presence of a headache.
4. Mal de Debarquement
It means “disembarkment sickness,” and it describes the sensation people experience when they still feel the movement of a car, boat, train, plane, or amusement park rides, even after getting off them. When we experience any false sensation of movement or spinning, it is considered vertigo.
5. Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction
This is the decrease of vestibular function in both ears. It has its own category since most vestibular disorders only affect one ear. Vestibular issues in both ears can bring about balance issues, vertigo, and even vision-related concerns when the head is moving. These problems are notably worse in low-light circumstances since the body is unable to use visual input to help with balance.
6. CANVAS Syndrome
CANVAS is short for cerebellar ataxia (CA), peripheral nerve damage (N), and vestibular areflexia (VA). These three conditions can bring about vertigo and other vestibular complications. The presence of these three disorders can lead to some severe balance problems, although it rarely ever happens.
7. Meniere’s Disease
This is a rare vestibular condition, but more and more people get a Meniere’s diagnosis each year. In the United States, as many as 45,000 people are diagnosed with Meniere’s annually. Some of the symptoms of this condition are severe vertigo attacks that may persist for a whole day, a feeling of fullness in the affected ear, intense tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and hearing loss.
8. Cervicogenic Dizziness
Doctors often do not link neck pain with vertigo. However, vertigo patients often also experience neck pain, and when they are both connected, we call it cervicogenic dizziness. It occurs when vertigo and various vestibular issues originate from problems in the neck, such as an upper cervical misalignment. An upper cervical misalignment can be the root cause of many vertigo disorders, such as BPPV and Meniere’s disease, to name a few.
9. Post-Concussion Syndrome
Following a head injury, many people experience symptoms such as vertigo. The problem may originate from the central nervous system. It is also possible that the impact of the head injury affected the ear or caused it to swell. When someone experiences whiplash with a head injury, there is a high chance that the upper vertebrae of the spine were affected. The vertebrae may be putting stress on the brainstem and spinal cord, hindering proper communication between the brain and the body parts that are vital for balance.
A Natural Solution for Vertigo-Related Conditions
All nine conditions in the list above have a connection to issues in the neck. In fact, many studies have acknowledged the link between the neck and vertigo. In a study involving 60 vertigo patients, 56 patients could remember having a head or neck injury before the onset of their vertigo symptoms. All of them received upper cervical chiropractic care. After the period of care, 48 patients walked away free from vertigo. The rest of the 12 patients reported a significant reduction of frequency and severity of their vertigo episodes.
Vertigo is a common symptom, and the chance of a person experiencing the symptom increases with age. It could stem from an existing upper cervical misalignment that could be due to an injury left ignored for many years.
If you experience vertigo and can recall having a head or neck injury, upper cervical chiropractic can be the right solution for you. You can schedule an appointment with my practice, Horizon Chiropractic Center in Phoenix, Arizona, by calling (602) 753-7782 or filling out this contact form. We employ the same technique as the one used in the study above, and we can help you achieve similar results. You can also read all the good things my patients say about my practice.