Have you ever experienced the feeling like the room you were in was spinning or have you had persistent spells of dizziness occur? What about hearing ringing sounds in your ears? These symptoms can be mild to severe and be debilitating to your daily routine. These are all symptoms of vertigo. Vertigo is when you have a feeling of being dizzy combined with the sensation of spinning or moving, even when you are perfectly still. Vertigo symptoms can include headaches, tinnitus (ringing in ears), and even nausea and vomiting. But what causes these symptoms and what natural treatment options are available for those experiencing them?
Cause: Inner Ear Imbalance
The vestibular system in our inner ear is responsible for helping us maintain balance and gives us spatial awareness of where we are in relation to everything around us. It is now well known or understood what things disrupt the normal balance of our inner ear but they can lead to vertigo symptoms as a result. A few known triggers are:
- Benign positional paroxysmal vertigo (BPPV)
- Meniere’s disease
- Inner ear infections
- Inflammation of the vestibular nerve that goes into the ear
Treatment Options: For some people, the symptoms will go away on their own as the body and brain work to restore normal balance in the inner ear. For others, intervention is required to help improve or eliminate the symptoms. Options for treatment include:
- Epley Maneuver: An exercise to help reset the vestibular system that can be found at this link Epley Maneuver Video.
- Medical Intervention: Medication may be used to help with nausea/vomiting, or antibiotics may be used if infection is thought to be the cause.
- Vestibular Rehabilitation: These are exercises that are targeted at helping the vestibular system reset back to where it needs to be.
- Chiropractic Care: Cervical adjustments can help relieve vertigo symptoms and may even help get the inner ear restored to normal. We have seen positive results in our own patients who have experienced relief in vertigo symptoms, especially tinnitus. There is research that has shown chiropractic adjustments benefit in helping those with vertigo[1].
If you or someone you know is experiencing vertigo symptoms, call us at 336-768-1004 to schedule a consultation.
[1] Ndetan H, Hawk C, Sekhon VK, Chiusano M. The Role of Chiropractic Care in the Treatment of Dizziness or Balance Disorders: Analysis of National Health Interview Survey Data. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. 2016;21(2):138-142. doi:10.1177/2156587215604974.