“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul…and sings the tune without words and never stops at all.”  These words were penned in 1862 by Emily Dickinson, one of America’s greatest and most prolific poets.

One can only wonder what was in the mind of the reclusive poet when she wrote this poem. She spent most of her time indoors, rarely leaving her home. Her biographers claim that she suffered from vertigo based on her many symptoms, including depression and anxiety.  She wrote more than 1,000 poems in her lifetime.

Who knows? She could have written more masterpieces had there been an upper cervical chiropractor for vertigo during her time.  Some health experts also say that Dickinson must have had Meniere’s Disease.

While Dickinson’s hands were masterful in writing poetry, an upper cervical spine chiropractor for vertigo may be considered a master of restoring health to our bones.

But first, what exactly is vertigo? How does it affect people?

What is Vertigo?

In simplest terms, vertigo is a condition that makes a person experience spinning dizziness. It may cause a brief or long period of dizziness because of an inner ear problem. Among the known causes include:

• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV

Our inner ear has organs called the otolith. The otolith contains calcium carbonate crystals that can brittle away and fall inside the ear canal. When the crystals fall into the canal, they touch very sensitive hair cells. These hair cells, in turn, send distorted signals to the brain about the body’s position in relation to the outside world. The distorted signals to the brain are the main reason why a person experiences spinning dizziness.

• Cholesteatoma

This is a non-cancerous skin growth that affects the eardrum. Repeated ear infections lead to this skin growth that damages the middle ear’s tiny, fragile bones. Damage to the middle ear leads to spinning and even loss of hearing.  

• Labyrinthitis

Inside the inner ear’s labyrinth-like canal, there is a vital part of the cavity called the vestibulocochlear nerve. This nerve is responsible for sending information to the brain about a person’s movements and position in relation to space. It is also the nerve that interprets sound and communicates it to the brain. When infection hits the ear canal, this nerve gets infected. When inflammation sets in, a person experiences dizziness, headaches, ear pain, and even hearing loss.

• Meniere’s Disease

This condition leads to the accumulation of fluid inside the inner ear.  When this happens, a person begins to show symptoms, including tinnitus or ringing of the ears. When not properly cared for, it can also lead to hearing loss.

There are many other possible causes for vertigo but, almost all of them are related to an injury, damage, infection, or inflammation of the inner ear.

Signs and Symptoms of Vertigo

When an upper cervical chiropractor for vertigo asks a person about his or her experience with vertigo, the most common symptoms that they mention include:

• Migraine or intense headaches
• Spinning dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Loss of Balance
• Ringing of the ears
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of control of eye movement
• Motion sickness

Common Approaches to Vertigo Management

While vertigo is not a life-threatening condition, it can still pose significant discomfort to people. In rare cases, it can pose a severe threat to a person’s health when the spinning sensation makes a person fall to the ground without control.

Due to its debilitating symptoms, people look for ways to control the harmful effects of this condition.  Some of the more common approaches to vertigo management include:

• Use of antibiotics, antiviral drugs, and other prescription medications for vertigo to deal with a bacterial or viral infection of the inner ear. Doctors prescribe these medications to fight off the infection and reduce inflammation inside the ears.
• Antihistamines and anti-emetics help lessen nausea and motion sickness.
• In some cases of vertigo, the option recommended by doctors is ear surgery.

The Natural Way to Manage and Relieve Vertigo

Working with an upper cervical chiropractor for vertigo is undoubtedly a viable option for people who want to consider another safe, practical, and natural alternative.

The chiropractor’s hands make precise movements that adjust the upper cervical bones’ position.  These bones are the atlas (C1 vertebra) and the axis (C2 vertebra). These bones are cylindrical in structure and function to protect our brainstem.

Protecting the brainstem is essential because it serves as a “gateway” for brain signals that flow to the spine and on to the various nerves that allow us to control our balance and body’s position.  Any injury or misalignment in the upper cervical spine disrupts these brain signals’ flow and, consequently, leads to malfunctions in different parts of the body.  Vertigo is just one among many adverse effects of misaligned atlas and axis bones.

An upper cervical chiropractor for vertigo will take measurements of the head and neck to check for any misalignment. Once detected, gentle manual adjustments help restore the right position of the atlas and axis bones. This results in the protection of the brainstem and the structures of the inner ear. 

There is hope for people with vertigo and other conditions that cause pain, dizziness, and other discomforts.  With skilled hands, you, too, can find hope and regain health and wellness. 

If you would like to know more about upper cervical chiropractic and how it helps people with vertigo, visit our website, or better yet, book an appointment with an upper cervical chiropractor in your area.

to schedule a consultation today.