Our February special… will surely make you and a friend feel special. Bring in a new patient on your next visit, and get both adjustments combined for only $75! If you have a friend or loved one who has been thinking about trying chiropractic, there has never been a better time.
Dizziness and/or Vertigo…are two similar and common problems that are rarely life-threatening, but often are accompanied by nausea. Feeling light-headed, woozy, and weak or unsteady is known as dizziness. It commonly hits adults when they get up too fast and then almost feel like fainting. This is explained by the physiology that when we sit or lay down our heart rate slows. If we stand up very quickly, gravity causes blood to rush out of our head. Within a few beats, the heart speeds up to alleviate the situation. Other most common causes are: *Dehydration *Low blood sugar *Fatigue *Motion sickness *Inner ear disturbances *Pregnancy *Sickness with fever *Anxiety from an event or intense stress *Diabetes *Liver problems *Neurological health problems *Alcohol or drugs *Poisoning *Organ injury or failure *Migraines *Stroke *Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS)
Vertigo is a much more severe type of dizziness. People who experience vertigo describe feeling like the room is spinning. They also report that when it hits them, they want to lay face down on the bed, grabbing onto its sides and keeping their eyes tightly shut. Symptoms can also include the feeling of disequilibrium, like you are leaning to one side. Vertigo is perceived by the individual experiencing it as a problem outside of the body. This condition is much more challenging to deal with than dizziness. The most common type of vertigo is BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). Home remedies can be effective, especially in cases where the person has become dehydrated. Here are some home remedies to try: *Drink liquids, especially water *Carbonated beverages help relieve stomach upset *Lie down in a cool, quiet place to rest. *Avoid bright lights and loud sounds. *Eat a bland diet until vomiting stops *Try over the counter stomach remedies Pressure on the inner ear from a misaligned skull or neck can also cause the semi-circular ear canals to produce the afore-mentioned symptoms. The inner ear is very close anatomically to the top vertebrae of the neck, bones, jaw, and skull, making it easy to see how misalignments in these structures have the potential to put pressure on the mechanisms of the inner ear.
The chiropractic evidence speaks for itself. Chiropractors have been helping children with ear infections for decades. In those cases, adjusting the neck and skull to reset their position relieves inner ear pressure. This helps the inner ear; the Eustachian tubes and sinuses drain, swelling goes down, pain subsides and the child feels better. If a full-blown ear infection has set in, antibiotics are needed, but a chiropractic treatment can still help while the child is taking those drugs. An adjustment might actually help the body heal more quickly as well as help prevent a reoccurrence. One of the causes of vertigo is said to be crystals floating in the semi-circular ear canals, which are the main balance organ in the brain. These are three small tubes filled with fluid and lined with little hair-like fibers. If a fiber breaks off and starts floating around in the fluid, you experience vertigo. There is a maneuver done in medical offices, mine included, that can help. By moving the head in certain positions and holding it in place for 30 seconds for each position, the crystals will get relocated into the tiny cilia that line these canals and the vertigo pretty much stops. I did some research online and saw a video that demonstrated a self-help maneuver that can be done on a couch. Also shown were some eye exercises that help relieve the last vestiges of the feeling of vertigo when you move your head too quickly. Again, chiropractic adjustments can help this predicament by making sure the head and neck are aligned well; with no pressure points in the upper neck/skull/jaw from misalignments that might be putting pressure on the ear canal and inner ear mechanisms.
The Epley Maneuver: These are directions for if your vertigo comes from your left ear:
Sit on the edge of your bed. Turn your head 45 degrees to the left (not as far as your left shoulder). When you lie down, place a pillow under your head so that it rests between your shoulders rather than under your head. Quickly lie down on your back, with your head on the bed, still at the 45 degree angle. The pillow should be under your shoulders. Wait 30 seconds for any vertigo to stop. Turn your head halfway (90 degrees) to the right without raising it. Wait 30 seconds. Turn to lie on your right side, so you're looking at the floor. Wait 30 seconds. Sit up slowly and stay seated on the bed for a few minutes. If the vertigo comes from your right ear, reverse these instructions. Sit on your bed, turn your head 45 degrees to the right, and so on. These movements should be done three times each night, before going to bed and should be continued until a period of 24 hours has passed without experiencing any dizziness.
The Semont Maneuver is an exercise that is similar to the Epley maneuver, though not as popular in the United States. It is also used for dizziness stemming from the left ear and side: Sit on the edge of your bed. Turn your head 45 degrees to the right. Quickly lie down on your left side and stay there for 30 seconds. Quickly move to the opposite side of your bed and lie down. Don’t change the direction of your head. Keep it at a 45-degree angle and maintain that position for 30 seconds, looking at the floor. Slowly return to an upright sitting position and wait a few minutes. Reverse these moves for the right ear. Again, these movements should be done three times nightly until 24 hours has passed without any vertigo.
