Vertigo and Dizziness

The sensation of dizziness or spinning, known as vertigo, is an unpleasant symptom that can significantly affect daily life. It is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sweating and can result from various factors, including head and neck trauma.(1)

There are many causes of vertigo, and your chiropractor will conduct a thorough examination to identify the likely underlying cause and determine the most suitable treatment. Effective chiropractic treatment can be provided to manage many cases of vertigo, especially in addressing Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), the leading cause of dizziness.(2,3)

Our chiropractor is skilled in performing the Epley manoeuvre that can effectively alleviate BPPV symptoms in the majority of patients.(4,5)

After head and/or neck trauma, neck muscle tension may affect the proprioceptive input (sensory information about body position) that the brain receives. Changes in proprioception can contribute to a sense of unsteadiness and dizziness. This condition often responds well to chiropractic care, which aims to restore proper joint function and muscle balance.(6,7)

While chiropractic care may not be appropriate for all types of dizziness, we can provide appropriate referrals to other healthcare professionals if further assessment and treatment are required.

References:

  1. Swartz, R., & Longwell, P. (2005). Treatment of vertigo. American Family Physician, 71(6), 1115-1122.

  2. Bhattacharyya, N., Gubbels, S. P., Schwartz, S. R., Edlow, J. A., El-Kashlan, H., Fife, T., ... & Corrigan, M. D. (2017). Clinical practice guideline: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (update). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 156(3_suppl), S1-S47.

  3. Lystad, R. P., Bell, G., Bonnevie-Svendsen, M., & Carter, C. V. (2011). Manual therapy with and without vestibular rehabilitation for cervicogenic dizziness: a systematic review. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, 19(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-709X-19-21

  4. Hilton, M. P., & Pinder, D. K. (2014). The Epley (canalith repositioning) manoeuvre for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (12). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003162.pub3

  5. Radtke, A., Von Brevern, M., Tiel-Wilck, K., Mainz-Perchalla, A., Neuhauser, H., & Lempert, T. (2004). Self-treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Neurology, 63(1), 150-152. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.WNL.0000130250.62842.C9

  6. Treleaven, J. (2008). Sensorimotor disturbances in neck disorders affecting postural stability, head and eye movement control. Manual Therapy, 13(1), 2-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2007.06.003

  7. Reid, S. A., Rivett, D. A., Katekar, M. G., & Callister, R. (2014). Sustained natural apophyseal glides (SNAGs) are an effective treatment for cervicogenic dizziness. Manual Therapy, 19(4), 271-278.