Dizziness and Vertigo are very common health problems… too often people have poor responses to conventional medical treatment.

Read on to discover how another model of care is helping people that suffer with these problems.

5-10% of the population experiences dizziness, vertigo, and/or imbalance. These problems become much more common as we get older. This often leads to falls that are a leading cause of disability and even death in the elderly… but it’s not only the elderly that suffer from this terrible problem.

Dizziness and Vertigo are one of the most mis-understood problems that people experience because they are complex and not easily diagnosed… often the diagnosis simply describes the symptom and not the actual problem.

Both Dizziness and Vertigo are sensations that someone experiences. 

Dizziness is often described as lightheadedness or feeling like you are going to feint/pass out. It can be due to many different things. It often is from changes in fuel delivery to the brain from changes in blood flow, Oxygen levels, or blood sugar levels – although other things may cause dizziness.

Vertigo is the inappropriate feeling of movement.

The person will feel like they or the world is moving when it’s not. It’s an illusion of movement.

Many different things can cause Vertigo – some very serious conditions like brain tumors or a stroke. Others that are much less serious, but none the less very problematic for those with the problem. Common diagnoses include Benign Paradoxymal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and Meniere’s disease.

The diagnoses are often not very helpful in the treatment and often do not lead to very good outcomes for sufferers of Vertigo.

Most people that experience persistent Vertigo end up going to many different doctors and having many very expensive tests (which can be important to rule out serious problems) and end up taking prescription medications that might not help much and often cause other side effects because of the way the medicines work. Even if the medication helps, it generally does not address the cause of the problem. It only helps with a symptom. This is especially true if it’s due to a musculoskeletal problem that is discussed below.

There is often a better way that can improve function in dysfunctional areas of the nervous system by improving musculoskeletal function.

It takes an understanding of the neurology of the systems involved in balance, coordination, and spatial relationships.

You may have been told that the small rocks in your inner ear are out of place and causing abnormal information sent to your brain causing you to feel like your moving.

Anything is possible and that can be a problem, BUT what if it were just a functional problem in the way that the area of your brain receives that information is firing or being stimulated?

One type of vertigo is called ‘cervicogenic’ vertigo.

It’s a problem with the way your brain is receiving and processing spatial information from the muscles and joints of your neck.

Think about it this way, if you have a lamp that isn’t working it could be due to the light bulb or the power supply.

Either problem means your lamp isn’t working.

The brain is similar to this because it’s often a functional problem because it’s not getting enough ‘power’ from various parts of the body and nervous system.

The ‘power’ in the case of ‘cervicogenic’ vertigo can be thought of as from the neck.

This ‘power’ source can be changed through the right approach to treatment by stimulating the area with simple exercises or other chiropractic treatments by skilled chiropractors.

The reality is that your Vertigo is likely a functional problem in the in an area of the brain that interprets movement, even though it can be other problems like in the inner ear.

These functional types of vertigo are common and can often be treated successfully by changing the way it is activated with physical treatment.

Our brains integrate many different inputs to tell us where we are in space.

These include input from the eyes, ears, plus most importantly from the muscles and joints of the body – especially the spine.

We each have more information going into the brain from muscles and joints than from the other senses.

When the messages become mis-matched, then your brain can cause you to feel movement when there is none. This can occur due to a variety of reasons.

What can be done for Vertigo?

It depends upon the real cause of the abnormal sensation, but if a chiropractor can identify the localization of your problem in this musculoskeletal ‘mismatch,’ then treatment that changes and corrects the imbalances leading to improvement and often resolution of the vertigo.

Dr. Hagebusch has been fortunate enough to help many people that were suffering with Vertigo for years.

Some cases require a significant amount of work to improve, whereas others improve remarkably fast.

This is because of many variables, but the reality is that even if you have been told that there is nothing else that can be done to improve your Vertigo – you very well may be responsive to a different treatment approach.

You have very little to lose by seeing if we can help.

You may find that you are able to finally get it under control and maybe even eliminate it without drugs or surgery.

We have a lot of brain ‘real estate‘ dedicated to movement.

It’s very important!

Abnormal sensations of movement from the musculoskeletal system is the result of some breakdown in part of the nervous system that tells you where you are in space.

Recent advances in neuroscience have led to advanced clinical applications that have not yet become widely know and applied for people with Vertigo.

Looking at the way our nervous systems are activated, determining where there are asymmetries/imbalances through the musculoskeletal system, and using non-invasive treatments to improve it.

We can often tell very quickly if an individual will respond to this type of care.

What should you do next if you would like to get rid of your Vertigo?

Here’s what you should do…

Give my office a call at 903-793-1084 to set up an appointment.

I’ll go through your history and talk with you about the problems that you’re having with Vertigo or Balance.

If I believe that I can help you, I’ll let you know and if not then I’ll give you recommendations on other treatment options that are likely to help you.

If you are a good fit with a great chance of success, then I’ll customize a plan of Chiropractic Care for your Vertigo to help get you better so that you can get your life back.

Dr. Marc Hagebusch
Doctor of Chiropractic

See Dr. Hagebusch at our Texarkana Chiropractic Clinic