Vertigo is a condition that affects the inner ear and the brain’s ability to process signals that provide balance and stability. A vertigo attack comes with the sensation that either you or your surroundings are in a spin. This can also lead to a loss of balance, nausea, or even vomiting in more severe cases. The common approaches to vertigo relief care, such as the Epley Maneuver, have been successful in providing some temporary relief for some sufferers of the most common type of vertigo – benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. While this relief is encouraging, in many cases it’s unfortunately not a long-term solution for the problem. Because many people with spinning have sustained some type of trauma to the head or neck, addressing these issues has shed light on an underlying cause of the condition.
Your spine is designed to protect the brainstem and spinal cord. Your brainstem, spinal cord and all of the nerves that branch off of them are the “wires” over which signals are carried between the brain and body. Many people who suffer from spinning have experienced an injury to the head or neck. This could have been a result of a fender bender, a more severe accident, or just progressive wear and tear on the spine. As a result, a misalignment of the uppermost bone in the neck likely occurred. The atlas vertebra forms a protective ring around the brainstem, and when it shifts out of normal alignment, can affect the ability of the brain and inner ear to communicate properly.
At Henjy Chiropractic, we utilize some of the most gentle and effective means of addressing atlas misalignments. Each of our patients undergo a specific analysis that allows us to determine if an atlas misalignment is contributing to their vertigo symptoms. If necessary, an adjustment to the atlas is given, which not only restores normal alignment but relieves pressure on the brainstem and nerves. This allows for restoration of normal function, and normal communication of messages to and from the brain. This can help clear up stubborn, recurring episodes of vertigo for the long term.
References:
- www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vertigo/basics/symptoms/con-20028216
- blog.aarp.org/2016/03/03/fixing-vertigo-with-a-turn-of-the-head/
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