Vertigo is a form of dizziness, but it is different than lightheadedness. A better description is a false sensation that you or the environment around you is spinning or moving. Many times, the cause behind vertigo is a problem in the brain or inner ear, such as one of the following:
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Here are several of the more common symptoms characteristic of vertigo:
The following conditions have vertigo as one of their main symptoms:
Here is a list of home remedies for dizziness that may be of help when looking to ease vertigo symptoms.
This is usually a good option for BPPV because doing a series of specific head movements can help to realign the crystals of the inner ear. Here are the instructions:
For further directions refer to YouTube videos demonstrating the maneuver.
You can reset the information coming from the ear in order to help correct improper signals. This can be done by moving your head in a rotating motion slowly in each direction. This can reset your brain back to “zero,” similar to the way you restart your computer when it gives you problems.
Sometimes the ears are not the culprits, but it’s the eyes that are sending false signals, like in carsick or seasick situations. This can happen when the ears are accurately detecting movement, but the eyes are focused on something stationary. For example, reading a book while being in car that is driving up windy roads can cause carsickness. For these situations, locate the horizon line and focus on it for several minutes.
Finding something firm to hold onto can help your brain obtain accurate information to help with spatial awareness confusion. Basically, you will be grounding the brain, which is both comforting and can also help you to avoid falling.
Cervical vertigo is usually the result of an injury or swelling of the muscles and tissue surrounding the neck. When this happens, the nerves on one side of the neck can become stressed. These same nerves travel to the brain, and the pressure from the surrounding swelling can create false messages telling your brain the head is tilted more to one side than it truly is. A massage of the neck and some stress relief, even trying a heating pad to the neck, can all help ease vertigo symptoms in these cases.
Increasing the blood flow going to the brain by getting a head massage, will not only improve your health but also help with vertigo. This will help alleviate stress levels, which is a well-known trigger of vertigo attacks.
Being mindful of your breathing by closing your eyes and focusing on your breath for a few minutes is an excellent de-stressing tool. Using the belly breathing technique is an important part of maximizing this exercise. Here’s how to do it:
This can help you get proper flow of blood to the brain and may help with vertigo.
One more cause of vertigo is a bone misalignment at the uppermost part of the spine. The C1 and C2 vertebrae, which cradle the weight of the skull at the very top of the neck, are uniquely designed to allow the wide range of mobility we enjoy every day. This also means that they are more vulnerable to misaligning and causing issues for the rest of the body. Within the atlas and axis is the brainstem, protectively shielded by the vertebrae. If they misalign, this can place pressure on the brainstem, leading to interrupted and improper communication between brain and body. For example, if the brainstem were to send the message to the brain that the body is moving when it is not, vertigo would be the result.
Upper cervical chiropractors are trained in a thorough knowledge of the relationship between the bones of the neck and the brainstem. We have a unique approach to treating these types of misalignments using gentle and precise adjustments to encourage the bones back into place naturally. There’s no need for forceful popping or cracking of the neck to get results. Once the correction has taken place, the body begins to heal from the damage caused by the misalignment. Tissue and muscle can heal, and proper signals between the brain and body can be restored. This can oftentimes mean an improvement in or an elimination of vertigo.
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.