What is positional vertigo? Put simply, it is vertigo that is triggered by certain positions or movements of the head. For example, you may experience spinning sensation when you sit or stand up to quickly or when you bend over to pick something up off of the ground. Let’s take a look at 10 facts about this particular form of vertigo that is experienced more frequently by patients.

#1 You Can Wake Up with It

If you open your eyes first thing in the morning and see everything spinning, positional vertigo is most likely the culprit. You may have turned your head the wrong way while waking up or simply slept in the wrong position. Don’t jump out of bed too quickly or it could lead to a fall.

#2 Laying Down Can Trigger an Episode

Getting up isn’t the only problem when you have positional vertigo. Laying down can be an issue too. In fact, some patients may feel worse when they lay down during an episode, but that’s still better than falling.

#3 You Only Need Two Bouts for a Diagnosis

If you have experienced vertigo at least two times, you should head to the doctor. While positional vertigo is the most common diagnosis, you want to be sure you are not experiencing a more dangerous underlying cause like high blood pressure or mini-strokes.

#4 You Can Have Positional Vertigo in Both Ears

Some vestibular conditions, like Meniere’s disease, are almost always in one ear. However, you can have issues with positional vertigo in both ears. It is going to lead to frequent and severe bouts and a lot of balance issues.

#5 Vertigo Is Common with Migraines

In fact, you may find that some of your other migraines symptoms are worse when you are experiencing vertigo. For example, some patients have noted that headaches and sensory sensitivity seem to be worse when vertigo is also present.

#6 It’s More Common as You Age

About a third of people over the age of 40 will experience vertigo at some point. That doesn’t mean it is simply a part of getting older and you need to accept it. Get a diagnosis to determine what is causing your vertigo if possible. This can lead to better treatment options.

#7 There Is No Vertigo “Cure”

Sorry but your doctor can’t write you a prescription that makes vertigo magically disappear. There are a few drugs that can help with symptoms such as nausea. Also, if your vertigo is related to something like a virus or an infection, antivirals or antibiotics may speed up the recovery process.

#8 There Are Simple Home Remedies for Vertigo

You may be able to solve your vertigo issues at home depending on what the underlying cause is. For example:

• Water – Sometimes vertigo is a simple case of your body providing an early warning sign of dehydration. Drinking more water is about the easiest and cheapest way to resolve a health problem as you can get.  
• Repositioning maneuvers – Sometimes positional vertigo occurs because one of the crystals that detect movement in the inner ear become dislodged from the right canal. Your doctor can show you how to perform the Epley maneuver or certain other repositioning techniques, so when vertigo occurs, you know what to do.
• Dietary changes – Sometimes the ears retain too much fluid. Lots of sodium can encourage this. A low sodium diet may reduce the frequency and severity of vertigo in such cases.
• Avoiding triggers – Sometimes it is a matter of learning what triggers your vertigo attacks and cutting out those activities. For example, if you get dizzy when you bend at the waist, try crouching down to pick things up or getting a claw pickup tool for grabbing things without bending at all.

#9 The Problem May Be Your Neck

Head position is controlled by neck position. So if your vertigo occurs when you move your head certain ways, it really may just be that you moved your neck a particular way. Do you have a history of head or neck trauma? Do you ever suffer from neck pain or even a stiff neck? If so, there is probably a misalignment in the C1 and C2 area. These bones are responsible for more than half of the range of motion of the head. This is facilitated by the fact that the bones are a little different in shape from the rest of the vertebrae. It makes them more flexible, and more susceptible to misalignments.

#10 Upper Cervical Chiropractic May Help

This is a subspecialty of chiropractic that specifically targets the C1 and C2 at the base of the skull. Precise measurements are taken using diagnostic imaging and adjustment are extremely gentle. This has resulted in long-lasting relief for many.

As common as vertigo is, upper cervical misalignments are just about as common. So if you have any sort of history of head or neck trauma, whether vertigo started right after or not, it just makes sense to get checked out by a specialist. Upper cervical chiropractors have been able to help many patients to break free from vertigo naturally, even those experiencing vertigo due to Meniere’s disease.

Before you resign yourself to positional vertigo just being a part of getting older, why not see if it is the result of an old misalignment in the neck. An upper cervical chiropractor near you will be happy to discuss your options at a no-obligation consultation.

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