If you often deal with Meniere’s disease symptoms, chances are, you have scrolled through pages and pages of resources that talk about options for relief. You might have also come across Meniere’s disease neck exercises. Many people swear by its effectiveness in curbing the symptoms. So, it might be an excellent addition to your self-care routine. Check out some of the simplest and most effective neck exercises for Meniere’s disease relief below.

#1. Neck Rotation

Neck stretches are among the most recommended exercises you can do to relieve your symptoms like vertigo and ear congestion. It only involves gentle rotation of your neck from right to left several times in a span of one to two minutes.  

#2. Neck extension and flexion

Like neck rotation, neck flexion and extension are also simple Meniere’s disease neck exercises that don’t require special equipment. So, you can easily do these movements while sitting in your office (or remote workplace) or commuting home after a long day. Here’s how you can do it:

• Stand straight with your feet apart 
• Place your arms on the side 
• Brace your core muscles to provide ample support to your spine
• Relax your shoulders
• Drop your chin and hold your position for no more than 30 seconds
• Gently and slowly lift your head and chin to extend the neck for up to 10 seconds
• Repeat all the movements two to four times

#3. Lateral neck flexion

Lateral flexion exercises aim to improve the oblique or side muscles. It’s also among the most commonly used activities of patients who desire to resolve their Meniere’s disease or vertigo. To do this movement correctly, you should follow the steps below:

• Bend your head sidewards at a slow and gentle pace
• Bring your left or right ear towards one of the shoulders 
• Do the same to the other ear and side of your body

#4. Levator scapulae stretch

The levator scapulae are critical to ensuring the smooth movement of your shoulders and neck muscles. That’s why therapists and doctors suggest including levator scapulae stretching exercise in your self-care routine to minimize the impact of vertigo and Meniere’s disease. 

#5. Chin tucks

If you have been dealing with vertigo due to Meniere’s disease for quite a while, you might find it helpful to include chin tucks in your daily workout routine. Many healthcare practitioners recommend this approach because it helps strengthen your neck muscles. Here’s how you can do it correctly according to Spine-Health:

• Sit with your back straightened and your head in a neutral position
• Be sure to keep your spine stretched for the entire procedure
• Place one finger on your chin 
• Use your finger to push your chin inwards and hold your position for around 5 seconds
• Release your chin and relax until you repeat the process up to 10 times each day

Other Exercises That Can Help You Cope with Vertigo

Besides the neck and shoulder exercises we shared above, you might also find it helpful to try the other well-known physical activities for vertigo episodes. Some examples of these include: 

Romberg exercise 

The Romberg exercise or stance is one of the popular tests used to detect proprioception problems. It's also helpful in helping relieve vertigo symptoms among patients. It involves standing in front of a chair for 30 seconds. You can repeat this exercise twice each day and see how well you progress.

Walking

Walking is an underrated physical activity for patients with mild to severe vertigo. It’s easy to do, and you can include it in your weekly physical routine. Here are two variations of walking exercises you can do to improve your Meniere's symptoms:

• Walk no more than five steps and stop abruptly for 10 seconds or until you feel your spinning sensations stop. Repeat the process until you reach 50 feet. Make sure to monitor your progress and increase the total distance until you feel comfortable walking up to 100 feet. 
• Prepare to walk 150 feet while doing gentle and slow head movements. For the first 50 feet, you will need to turn your head sideways each time you take a step. Then for the next 50, you should tilt your head up and down. For the remaining 50, you will need to tip your head to reach your shoulder.

Beyond Doing Meniere’s Disease Neck Exercises

Indeed, doing the different Meniere’s disease neck exercises and other physical activities listed above can make a significant difference in your life. Feel free to integrate these activities into your daily or weekly routine or use them with other Meniere’s disease remedies such as upper cervical care. 

Thousands of patients who received upper cervical chiropractic care have enjoyed lasting relief from their dizzying and debilitating symptoms. Many of them managed to go back to their usual routine like taking their dog out for a walk, hitting the gym, spending time with their family during weekends, and traveling by air or sea. 

If you haven’t tried upper cervical chiropractic, we recommend scheduling a consultation with an upper cervical doctor. This way, you can get your neck bone assessed for cervical subluxation. It will help you get to the bottom of the issue and resolve vertigo-causing problems such as:

• Irritated or compressed vestibulocochlear nerve
• Impinged brainstem or spinal cord
• Poor fluid drainage in the head

This chiropractic technique focuses on making minor bone adjustments to the neck’s alignment to restore your spinal health. If you want to discover more about this unique approach to healing Meniere’s disease symptoms, you can try calling an upper cervical care doctor near your city.

to schedule a consultation today.