Vertigo Treatment at Health First Chiropractic Marysville
When the room suddenly starts spinning for no discernible reason, you may feel as if you've entered a funhouse -- or, more likely, a nightmare. As frightening and disabling as vertigo may be, however, the causes may be traceable to something as small (but significant) as a slight upper cervical misalignment. Here at Health First Chiropractic Marysville, our full-body approach to wellness helps us track down the underlying cause of your symptoms and prescribe the right solutions to bring much-needed relief.
Vertigo and the Upper Cervical Spine
While you may hear the terms "dizziness" and "vertigo" used interchangeably, there are important distinctions to be made. While vertigo is definitely a type of dizziness, not all dizziness counts as vertigo. For one thing, vertigo isn't just generalized dizziness or faintness; it specifically involves a spinning or tilting sensation, as if the world is moving while you remain still. Additionally, while dizziness may be caused by everything from high blood pressure or chemical abuse to a stroke, feelings of vertigo are typically associated with a problem in the balance between the head and upper cervical spine. In this scenario, known as cervinogenic vertigo, the head sits at a slightly unnatural angle on the spine, causing the proprioceptors (the nerves that govern balance) to malfunction. The telltale spinning and tilting sensations may be accompanied by nausea, hearing disturbances and headaches.
Cervicogenic vertigo isn't the only variety of this debilitating problem. Head or neck injuries can also produce vertigo as a result of inflammation/impingement of the upper cervical nerves. Another type of vertigo, BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), can occur when tiny calcium crystals inside the inner ear break loose and float around.
How Our Chiropractor Diagnoses and Treats Your Condition
Bring your case of vertigo to the trusted team at Health First Chiropractic Marysville for accurate diagnosis and effective, drug-free treatment. Our chiropractor is a specialist in the Blair Upper Cervical Technique. This technique is specifically designed to locate and gently, painlessly correct any subluxation (joint dislocation) in the upper cervical area. Upper cervical chiropractic adjustments can straighten your head in relation to your neck, restoring your sense of balance to normal. If your vertigo occurred as a side effect of whiplash or some other kind of neck injury, our gentle care can help relieve nerve dysfunction and the symptoms it produces. We can even help patients suffering BPPV by prescribing simple exercises to help you settle the free-floating particles unbalancing your inner ear.
Regain Your Balance Today
As probably know by now, chronic vertigo can make driving a car, cooking dinner, doing your job or even walking a dangerous or impossible proposition. By now that you know how to obtain safe, effective, non-pharmaceutical relief from your symptoms, take one strong step in the right direction by calling Health First Chiropractic Marysville at (360) 658-1987 today. We can help you get back on your feet!