Dizziness

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Dizziness (often referred to as vertigo or disequilibrium) is a common complaint among patients in our office, since it is a complaint that is often treatable via chiropractic manipulative and rehabilitative procedures. It has been shown in several studies that the cervical spine plays a very strong role in the body's regulation of equilibrium sense. There are essentially four symptoms that are often described by patients as being "dizziness:"

1. Lightheadedness - feeling "not right in the head."

2. Presyncope - feeling "faint."

3. Disequilibrium - feeling off balance, often as if you are being "pulled to one side" and feel as if you could easily fall over.

4. Vertigo - feeling as if you are spinning or the world is spinning around you. This can often occur in acute attacks, or it can be a constant, low-level sensation.

When vertigo or disequilibrium is caused by dysfunction in the cervical spine, it is most often treatable by way of spinal manipulations and adjustments. In fact, studies have shown that patients with post-traumatic vertigo of cervical origin treated with chiropractic

"The cervical spine plays a very strong role in the body's regulation of equilibrium sense."

manipulative, myofascial and rehabilitative procedures experienced a 90.2 percent success rate.

Optimum function of the cervical spine is essential to the recovery from these disorders regardless of the cause. Our treatment is not only directed towards the correction of joint dysfunction via manipulation, but is also directed toward muscular dysfunction, such as myofascial trigger points and muscle tightness. Examining for this imbalance and correcting it through rehabilitative procedures will help improve locomotor system function as a whole and prevent treatment resistance and recurrence of the problem.

Reference: Hulse M., Disequilibrium Caused By a Functional Disturbance of the Upper Cervical Spine. Clinical aspects and differential diagnosis. Man Med 1983; 1:18-23.