Vertigo, or dizziness is a relatively common condition that people experience. At Regenerate Chiropractic in Canning Vale, we see many different patients who report with symptoms of dizziness and a feeling that the room is spinning. Experiencing vertigo can be very uncomfortable and inconvenient, it is usually linked with other symptoms also being experienced collectively. Our team of chiropractors and physiotherapists may be able to help ease your vertigo using a range of different treatments.
What is the cause of my Dizziness?
There can be many different causes of dizziness, however the most common are vestibular system dysfunction, blood pressure changes, reduced blood sugar levels, possible cardiac conditions, and neurological conditions
The most common cause of dizziness is the vestibular system. Your vestibular system is a sensory system that is responsible for providing our brain with information about motion, head position, and spatial orientation; it also is involved with motor functions that allow us to keep our balance, stabilize our head and body during movement, and maintain posture. The vestibular system collects information on all of these things from the inner ear, and this is where most of the problems causing your dizziness occur.
Common dizziness conditions seen in the clinic
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- Meniere’s disease
- Vestibular neuritis
It is important to note that your health care practitioner will do a thorough assessment and provide referral if needed for further evaluation and management of your dizziness.
Symptoms associated with dizziness
Symptoms associated with dizziness can be debilitating and if you have ever experienced these, you will know how limiting they can be. The most commonly seen symptoms of dizziness are nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears and hearing loss. If you are experiencing any of these, report them immediately and seek further help from a professional.
How can I correct my dizziness?
The most common diagnosis of dizziness is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Chiropractic care and physiotherapy can help in reducing dizzy symptoms through gentle manual therapy to restore function to your upper neck and any myofascial tension. Along with this, simple exercises can be performed and are encouraged to be performed at home to reduce dizzy spells and restore normal inner ear function. These exercises should be done in a safe environment and with supervision of a family member if possible.
Cawthorne Cooksey Exercises
Perform these exercises slowly and in a controlled manner. Perform each exercise 8-10 times and progress with more repetitions over time.
- In bed
- Perform eye movements – up/down, left/right, finger focussing close to you at 30cm to arm length away.
- Head movements – forward bending and backwards bending, repeat head movement with eyes closed
- Sitting
- Repeat eye and head movements as done in bed
- Moving from sit to stand with eyes open
- Gently throwing a tennis ball at eye level or above from hand to hand
- Sit to stand with turning around 360 degrees slowly and back to sit
- Moving (have a partner there for support)
- Walking up a small gentle slope/hill
- Walking up steps
- Throwing tennis ball with partner
These exercises are very simple and are helpful in training your vestibular system and brain to become coordinated again and reduce dizziness and associated symptoms.
If you have any further questions and would like to see if Regenerate Chiropractic can help you, then please do not hesitate to book an appointment with one of our health care professionals.
