Vertigo is an extremely common symptom, but that doesn’t mean it is well understood, either in the medical community or by people in general. If you suffer from chronic or recurring bouts, what should you know? We're going to address eight important vertigo facts. Then we will give you a natural way to get your life back on track.
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It is the false sensations of movement. If often feels like the room is spinning. However, even the feeling that things are tilting or swaying is also vertigo. So it can be the feeling you have after you get off of a boat and still can feel the waves of the ocean. It is also what causes some people who fall to say that it seemed like the ground was coming up to meet them.
For most people, it’s just a few seconds to a few minutes. If vertigo goes on longer than 20 minutes, you may have a rare vestibular condition called Meniere’s disease (more on that later). In very rare cases, a person may deal with perpetual vertigo.
Vertigo can be a symptom of many different conditions. In fact, about half of people who go to the doctor for it never find out what is causing the problem. Many are simply diagnosed with positional vertigo, which basically means that vertigo occurs depending on how you move your head.
If it is due to an ear condition, it is called peripheral vertigo. If it is caused by a neurological condition, it is called central vertigo.
Even if you close your eyes and can’t see the room moving, you may still have the feeling that you are moving. Laying down doesn’t fix the problem, but it can help you to avoid a fall, so it’s a good idea if you can get somewhere safe to sit or lay down during an attack. If you wake up with vertigo, it is a good chance that you will be diagnosed with positional vertigo.
Meniere’s is considered a peripheral cause of vertigo. Bouts of it are severe and can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 24 hours. Other symptoms include tinnitus (ringing in the ear), hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the affected ear (and less commonly in both ears).
This is a central cause of vertigo because migraines are a neurological condition. About 39 million Americans get migraines, and up to 40% can have vestibular symptoms like vertigo. So migraines are to blame for millions of cases of vertigo in the US alone.
There are many ways that you can stop vertigo simply by making a few lifestyle changes. Everything from dehydration and lack of sleep to skipping a meal or failing to cope adequately stress may trigger an attack. Depending on the cause of your vertigo, there may also be some dietary adjustment that can help.
Of course, if your doctor can’t find what is causing your episodes, trying to find a way to cope with it can be hit and miss. One underlying factor that is frequently overlooked is an atlas misalignment. The atlas is the top bone in the neck. How does this bone’s position affect the systems of the body that have to do with balance and spatial orientation?
As you can see, the atlas can play a role in the onset of false spinning sensation. So if you suffer from chronic or recurrent vertigo, it just makes sense to get this checked out.
If your vertigo is related to this common underlying factor, an upper cervical chiropractor can help. This is a chiropractic subspecialty that focuses on the atlas. Precise measurements are taken so that gentle adjustments can be administered. There is none of the popping or twisting of the neck that most people associate with a chiropractic adjustment. Since gentle adjustments tend to last longer, the body has the time it needs to heal.
Can upper cervical chiropractic unlock your body’s ability to heal itself? Scheduling a consultation with a practitioner is a good way to find out. Since there are only about 3,500 practitioners of this subspecialty, you may have a little bit of a drive, but if you find genuine vertigo relief, it will certainly be worth it! This website’s search feature can help you to find one of our preferred doctors.
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TV show host Montel Williams describes how specific chiropractic care has helped his body.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
