Can a Chiropractor Help with Vertigo and Dizziness?
The functioning of the nervous system is essential for our body to be balanced and perform coordinated movements. Although you may not think twice about maintaining an upright posture and moving efficiently without trouble, if you are experiencing a form of dizziness, this can suddenly feel quite difficult.
Balance and coordination depend on a complex series of pathways in our brain requiring three lots of information: visual input, inner ear, ‘vestibular’ input, and ‘proprioception’, also known as the ability to know where your body is in a space.
Close your eyes and touch your nose with your right index finger. Without visual input, our bodies are still able to coordinate our movement, as the brain has a map of where your body is positioned. Amazing!
However, when we experience disruption to one or more of these inputs, we can begin to experience trouble with dizziness.
What is Dizziness?
Dizziness is actually a vague umbrella term that can generally be used to describe something not being quite right with balance and coordination.
There are four types to distinguish between:
- Vertigo: A spinning sensation; either the room or yourself. This is the most common type of dizziness.
- Disequilibrium or Imbalance: Wobbly or feeling a lack of stability and balance
- Presyncope: Feeling like you will faint or lose consciousness but not actually doing so.
- Lightheadedness: A vague, disconnected feeling from the environment around you and feeling slightly faint.
Potential Causes of Dizziness
There are a vast number of conditions that can cause the sensation of dizziness. Some potential systems in the body that can create dizziness are:
- The cardiovascular system
- The inner ear
- Mental disorders, including anxiety and depression
- The nervous system
- The spine, in particular the upper cervical joints
Some causes of dizziness can be serious, such as tumours, heart disease or anaemia, concussions, trauma, or infections. Medications can also sometimes produce dizziness as a side effect.
However, some of the most common causes are Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and Meniere’s disease. Cervicogenic dizziness most often comes when you have concurrent neck pain with limited range of motion and headaches.
How Chiropractic Care May Help Dizziness
Chiropractors are able to assess for different types of dizziness. Depending on your clinical presentation, they will be able to screen for potential serious causes through an orthopaedic and neurological examination and refer you for further investigation if necessary.
Chiropractic provides musculoskeletal and nervous system care to restore balance and proper motion to your spine and body. This holistic, non-pharmacological approach can be a solution for when there is irritation to your nervous system, particularly in your neck, that may be producing dizziness. The optimal functioning of your nervous system is essential for maintaining overall balance.
Chiropractors can also address conditions such as BPPV and some other vestibular disorders with specific techniques such as the Epley manoeuvre, vestibular rehabilitation exercises, and stretches.
Visit Your Local Chiropractor
Depending on what your body needs, chiropractors can help work alongside you to solve muscular imbalances, reduced joint range, and tension in your musculoskeletal system to restore motion, which may be contributing to your dizziness.
At Wilder Living Chiropractic, we’re dedicated to providing comprehensive, holistic care that aims to find the causative factors, relieve symptoms of dizziness, and improve your balance and coordination.
If you are struggling with feeling like the room is spinning around you or generalised dizziness, it’s best to have a thorough assessment. Book an appointment with one of our chiropractors for your dizziness or vertigo treatment.
Legal Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional chiropractic advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wilder Living Chiropractic. Reliance on any information provided in this article is solely at your own risk.
While every effort has been made to present accurate and up-to-date information, Wilder Living Chiropractic makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the content contained herein. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will Wilder Living Chiropractic be liable for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with the use of this article or the information presented within it. This disclaimer alsoapplies to any third-party websites or content linked to from this article.