What is Vertigo?
Vertigo is a sensation of dizziness and instability that occurs without movement. While it’s normal to experience occasional bouts of dizziness, people suffering from vertigo typically report more severe and/or more frequent episodes, often leading to coordination issues, disorientation, and difficulty completing everyday tasks.
Signs and Symptoms of Vertigo
The primary symptom associated with vertigo is a feeling of dizziness or a sense that your surroundings are spinning when you’re stationary. Other frequently cited symptoms of vertigo include tinnitus, headaches, and nausea.
How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Vertigo
The most common cause of vertigo is dysfunction in the inner ear. In addition to its role in processing auditory signals, the inner ear is also responsible for maintaining the vestibular system, which is responsible for maintaining the body's balance and spatial orientation.
A number of factors can lead to dysfunction in the inner ear. Vertebral misalignment in the upper cervical spine is one such factor. When one or more vertebrae in the upper cervical spine are out of alignment, the ensuing inflammation can cause soft tissue swelling and inflammation throughout the inner ear. Over time, this can lead to fluid build-up in the inner ear and eustachian tubes, disrupting nerve flow from the vestibular system and eventually triggering the onset of vertigo.
How Our Upper Cervical Treatment for Vertigo Works
Our in-house chiropractor, Dr. Gordon Elder, is an expert practitioner of the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique. This method of chiropractic care leverages diagnostic imaging to gently re-align the upper cervical spine, restoring natural function to the spinal column and re-activating the body’s natural healing mechanisms.
When treating vertigo, Dr. Elder employs a two-step approach to identifying and healing the condition. First, patients undergo a screening process that will determine whether a spinal misalignment may be causing their vertigo. Initial screening appointments generally last around 25–30-minutes.
If a misalignment is detected, your initial consultation will be followed by another appointment whereupon Dr. Elder will use advanced 3-D imaging tools to pinpoint the exact angle and location of your vertebral misalignment. Afterwards, you’ll receive a full report on the results of your consultation, and you’ll have an opportunity to ask Dr. Elder any questions about your treatment options.
To correct your misalignment, Dr. Elder will use a series of gentle, precise adjustment techniques to restore the misaligned vertebrae to their natural position, thereby reducing surrounding inflammation and encouraging normal nerve flow.
Following the initial adjustment, patients will return for regular, gradually spaced-out check-ups to ensure their adjustment has stayed in place for 3 months. Over the course of 3-5 months, most patients average between 10 and 15 appointments with Dr. Elder.
If vertigo is preventing you from living a fulfilling life, get in touch today to speak with Dr. Elder about healing your upper cervical spine. Located in Lubbock, Texas, Blair Chiropractic Clinic also services Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, El Paso in Texas, and Hobbs in New Mexico.
Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.