Understanding Vertigo, Motor Output, and The Vestibular System

March 28, 2021

vertigo,Upper cervical chiropractic

Upper cervical chiropractic practitioners help vertigo thousands of patients each year. That’s because vertigo remains an everyday health complaint in the US. While it’s not exactly a specific disorder, it can cause debilitating effects that could persist for a few minutes to several hours. 

Unfortunately, until today, vertigo’s root cause remains quite vague. The only certain thing that doctors and researchers know so far is that the dizzying or spinning sensations often stem from a problem with the vestibular system and the body’s motor output.

Not sure what these two things are? Make sure to read on so you can have a full grasp of vertigo as a symptom and how you can experience significant relief. 

 

How the body senses movement

Before you start trying remedies such as upper cervical chiropractic care, you need to take a step back to figure out how the body perceives motion in the first place. It comes in quite handy because, practically, vertigo is a symptom where your mind thinks you’re moving or spinning even when you’re not. 

Essentially, various organs work hand in hand to help you perceive your body’s spatial relationship with your surroundings. Some of these include your eyes, ears, vestibular system, and the sensors located on your skin and extremities. As you move your head and body, a steady stream of information from your motor sensory organs flows into the brain.  

In a typical setup, where you have a properly aligned head and spinal column, the flow of sensory signals to and from your brain doesn’t get disturbed. This, allows you to perceive your orientation with great ease.  

However, some people, such as patients suffering from vertigo, have problems with their vestibular system. Because of such a defect, the brain has a more challenging time processing information. It could also lead to miscommunication of your motor sensory organs and your central nervous system. As a result, you perceive false motion.

 

What’s the role of the vestibular system in your vertigo episodes?

Now that we’ve briefly mentioned about vestibular system, let’s take a closer look at how it works. Basically, the vestibular system is a group of organs found inside the ears. With it working hand in hand with your brain, you can perceive changes in balance and motion.

Both your left and right side of the ears have vestibular organs. Consequently, both of them transmit signals according to how you move your head. For example, if you tilt your head towards the right, the signals coming from the right side of the brain increase. Conversely, the signals sent by your left vestibular system decrease. 

Your body responds to the influx of information by moving your eyes or muscles. This way, you can adjust to your environment and avoid tripping, slipping, or falling. 

Unfortunately, the vestibular system sometimes faces issue such as inner ear infection, previous injuries, and aging. When this happens, you begin experiencing problems such as vertigo attacks. You might also experience other symptoms, including: 

  • Fatigue
  • Visual disturbances or aura (seeing flashing lights, zigzag lines, etc.)
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Nystagmus (uncontrolled eye-jerking)

vertigo,Upper cervical chiropractic

As you may notice, a migraine episode's symptoms tend to be quite complicated as it involves various parts of the body. This is precisely why seeking a relief option also tends to be tricky. For example, while drinking medications can help deal with balance problems, you may still experience problems when an attack happens if you experience other symptoms. 

Good thing, you can try upper cervical chiropractic care, a holistic approach to healing your vertigo and other symptoms. Essentially, this procedure involves dealing with the most likely cause of your vertigo attacks – a spinal misalignment.  

 

Upper cervical chiropractic adjustments for vertigo relief

 So how exactly does upper cervical chiropractic works? Why do many patients seek this approach to address their vertigo symptoms? The answer lies in the main points we discussed above – motor output and your vestibular system's function in perceiving motion and orientation changes. 

If you pay closer attention to your neck, you will notice that the bones tend to move differently than others in your body. These bones allow you to bend your neck and lift your head. They also allow for sideward movements and a wide range of other angles.

Unfortunately, the same function that allows for maximum movements of your neck and head also puts you at risk for developing health problems like vertigo. You see, the slightest pressure on the neck bones could result in subluxation. In effect, the shifting bones press on the nerves and brainstem – two components of the nervous system that play a pivotal role in relaying messages to and from your brain. It disrupts the signals and causes miscommunication, which could influence how well your brain understands the changes around you.

Often, this chain of events results in the onset of the different vertigo symptoms. It’s quite common among folks who had a history of neck injuries such as sports-related trauma, post-concussion, and whiplash. It can also happen when you have a poor body posture. Unless you restore your neck and spine's normal alignment, your brain will keep getting mixed signals and continue experiencing false motions. 

 

Get the help you need for your vertigo symptoms today!

If you have been experiencing vertigo for quite a while and seeing no improvements after seeking remedies, you should try upper cervical chiropractic. It’s a promising and holistic approach that aims to stimulate your body’s innate ability to heal independently. 

If you want to know more about how a upper cervical doctor can help you resolve your long-term vertigo attacks, you should try locating one near you today!

Find An Upper Cervical Doctor in Your Areato schedule a consultation today.

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