A person’s gait and balance depend a lot on the strong link between the brain, musculoskeletal system, nervous system, and sensory organs. An issue in any of these systems can bring problems in your gait and balance and potentially make you highly susceptible to falling. Vertigo remedies can help reduce your risk of falling.
Gait and balance problems can refer to any issue related to walking or maintaining one’s balance. Common issues include difficulty walking in a straight line, standing still for long periods, or feeling unsteady or off-balance when standing up or walking. These problems can often be caused by conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, arthritis, trauma, neuropathy (nerve damage), or aging.
However, vertigo can also make a person feel unsteady or off-balance and trigger gait issues. On the other hand, it’s not uncommon for people with gait and balance issues to experience vertigo and motion sickness. Sometimes, vertigo remedies help patients cope with their gait and balance problems. But identifying the cause of vertigo and tackling it may help provide better resolution and lasting relief.
It’s common for patients diagnosed with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) to experience gait unsteadiness even between their episodes. This condition is also one of the most common inner ear conditions that bring bouts of vertigo.
It’s common to experience vertigo and balance issues due to problems in the inner ear. This known issue throws off the body’s center of balance. But sometimes, despite addressing inner ear issues and opting for known and effective vertigo remedies, dizziness and balance issues persist. Why is this happening? The cause for vertigo is likely due to a neck issue, not the inner ear. This is called cervical vertigo.Cervical vertigo, or cervicogenic dizziness, is a neck-related sensation wherein you feel like spinning or the world around you is spinning. This also brings bouts of dizziness, but it usually comes from the neck and is usually caused by a neck disorder, poor neck posture, or injury or trauma to the cervical spine. Cervical vertigo usually stems from a head injury that disrupts head and neck alignment that brings dizziness after moving the neck. Such movements can affect a person’s sense of balance, gait, and concentration.
Addressing your cervical vertigo will have to involve the underlying condition causing it. For example, injuries are one common cause of this condition, which can usually result in an upper cervical misalignment.An upper cervical misalignment is a condition wherein the topmost bones of the spine, located in the neck, shift out of their proper alignment. This can trigger various symptoms and health conditions, including vertigo attacks. Notably, this is because a misalignment in the neck area can bring unnecessary pressure on the brainstem and affect the surrounding nerves, muscles, tissues, joints, and ligaments. Correcting this misalignment is critical to ensure the brainstem is relieved from undue stress and pressure and can function properly. A malfunctioning brainstem can lead to dizziness and can affect your motor function. To help you identify if a misalignment is related to your vertigo episodes which trigger balance and gait issues, you can reach out to an upper cervical chiropractor near you. They are trained to diagnose a misalignment and correct it slowly to help your body heal naturally.This specific chiropractic care focuses on your upper cervical bones. Restoring and maintaining the alignment and balance in this part of your spine is vital in keeping the normal function of the brainstem functioning to help the brain process messages to and from the body. It also helps your blood to flow without interference. You can filter by location to find an upper cervical chiropractor near you. They can help you cope better with balance issues related to your upper cervical spine to live normally again.
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.