I am finding that more and more patients are coming in with vertigo and dizziness.  Did you know almost half the cases of vertigo have no known medical cause, which means many vertigo patients often go searching for answers outside of prescription medications.  Some vertigo patients have even found resolution to their vertigo after correcting an imbalance to their head and neck alignment through upper cervical chiropractic care.

So what causes vertigo?

When a trauma occurs to the body, such as a car accident, blow to the head, or fall, it often affects the first neck bone or C1, because of the unique role and shape this bone has: it is a coupling mechanism between the head and the neck.

The body will quickly adapt to an uncontrolled force into the head and neck by locking this joint down to protect the highly sensitive anatomy inside the top of the spine: the lower part of the brain stem and the beginning of the spinal cord. Unfortunately this temporary trauma moves the atlas bone (C1) into a position that disrupts and even chokes the nerve signals from the brain.  If the congestion at the bottom of the brain and the top of the neck affects the nerves that communicate with the inner ear, then vertigo-like symptoms can be the result.

By reducing the amount of pressure on the brain stem the nervous system is able to function more efficiently.  The nervous system controls postural tone, spatial orientation, and coordination between movements in the body-and when these systems are not working correctly vertigo can result.  The chiropractor allows the body the chance to naturally reduce vertigo symptoms by correcting the cause-the confused communication between the brain and the body.