Vertigo and dizziness are two different things. Though both are uncomfortable, many healthcare professionals agree that vertigo is more severe as it occurs along with other equally disabling symptoms like vomiting, nausea, and loss of balance. As your leading vertigo chiropractor in Edmonton, Dr. Schmaus hopes to share essential information you can use to experience lasting relief and enjoy a vertigo-free life. Please read on to know everything you need about vertigo attacks.
As previously mentioned, vertigo is often associated with dizziness. However, the only similarity they share is the disorientating feeling they cause. Dizziness is feeling faint or momentarily off-balanced. On the one hand, vertigo refers to a vestibular dysfunction that causes your brain to detect false or amplified head movements.
Patients often described vertigo attacks as a whirling, rocking, swaying, or spinning sensation. Some note that their symptom disappears right after they refrain from making sudden movements. However, others experience lingering spinning sensations accompanied by other health complaints, including visual aura, vomiting, and nausea.
Other than diseases or health conditions, vertigo can stem from several lifestyle factors such as:
Our sense of balance can be very complex to understand and hard to maintain. That’s because it involves several body parts, including the vestibular organs of the inner ears, eyes, neck, and motor sensors on the muscles.
For your body to keep its balance, these body parts must team up and function properly to send the right and clear signals to your brain. However, a lot can go wrong with these different balance and proprioception organs. For example, you might suffer from a neck injury and compromise your head’s alignment with the rest of your body.
To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and vertigo, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.
Hence, it’s crucial to know how to care for these body parts. Let’s deep dive into each organ or structure below.
The inner ear is like your body’s compass that helps you assess your body’s current orientation and movement. It comprises two structures: the utricle and saccule, which can detect gravitational changes and dynamic and static movements. The inner ear also houses the vestibulocochlear nerve – the primary connection of your brain to your inner ears and the nerve root in charge of transmitting balance and movement signals.
Besides the vestibulocochlear nerves, the inner ear and other balance organs work hand in hand with other nervous system components such as the brainstem. This bundle of nerve tissue controls several functions, including:
Additionally, the nervous system ensures the following vestibular functions:
Your spine protects your brainstem and spinal cord. It also ensures the smooth flow of signals to and from the central nervous system. Unfortunately, the topmost vertebra of the spine can move out of alignment because of an injury or repetitive wear and tear. The C1 vertebra of the spine is the focal point of concern for many vertigo sufferers as this part protects the brainstem.
The brainstem serves as an information hub for integrating all the sensory input from the parts of your body involved with balance. The C1 and C2 vertebrae can sometimes compress or irritate the brainstem and cause the head to tilt at an awkward angle. When this happens, the brainstem fails to function correctly, and you become at risk of vertigo triggers such as the following:
Naturally, when you address the neck bone misalignments with a vertigo chiropractor in Edmonton, you can cancel out these adverse effects and avoid setting off spinning sensations.
Because vertigo isn’t a separate condition or disease, doctors recommend remedies based on the underlying health concern. For example, if you get diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, you might need to take anti-nausea medications. Alternatively, you might find it helpful to tap into techniques and procedures such as upper cervical chiropractic, positive pressure therapy, and inner ear injection.
We strongly suggest getting diagnosed by your primary doctor to rule out every possible cause of your spinning sensation and to determine if you need to receive emergency assistance for things such as stroke and brainstem tumor.
Correcting the atlas misalignments can be a potential solution for vertigo. This is possible with the help of upper cervical chiropractors. They employ upper cervical chiropractic care, a procedure used by chiropractic professionals that focuses on the C1 and C2 bones. These bones have a significant impact on overall body function.
If you have been experiencing vertigo all this time and are looking for a natural and holistic solution, upper cervical chiropractic care might be a good option. Visit Symmetry Spinal Care to consult with a trusted vertigo chiropractor in Edmonton. Dr. Schmaus' practice focuses on providing NUCCA care – an approach to healing that involves applying gentle neck bone toggles to restore posture. We will help you check if you have neck bone misalignments and if you can benefit from NUCCA care.
Our NUCCA chiropractor obtains exact measurements from sophisticated x-ray scanning techniques. This way, each patient receives tailored fit neck bone adjustments and experiences lasting relief. Please visit our practice or schedule a consultation via our online contact form or telephone number (780) 462-0447.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Schmaus, call our Edmonton office at (587) 608-5538. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
