Dizziness

Home > Conditions > Head > Dizziness

So after headaches, dizziness is the most frequent neurological disorder in humans. It occurs more frequently in women and the elderly. Research shows that 20-30% of the population struggle with dizziness, and this often increases with age. Dizziness usually involves losing the sense of body position and movement in space. Sometimes feeling lightheaded, woozy, or unbalanced. One can find that the body or surroundings are moving when really it’s at a standstill.  It also affects the sensory organs, specifically the eyes and ears, so it can sometimes cause fainting. Dizziness isn’t a disease, but rather a symptom of various disorders.

Generally, dizziness arises from problems of the inner ear and is treatable. Most common causes of inner ear dizziness include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), migraine and inflammation of the inner ear balance apparatus called vestibular neuritis.

Other symptoms of dizziness may include fever, severe headache, palpitations, chest pain or difficulty breathing. Therefore if any of these symptoms occur, one should consult a doctor or chiropractor. The word dizziness is used to describe many different experiences, including crystal sickness. To determine the cause of vertigo, it is, therefore, crucial to identify which type in question.

Common causes of Dizziness:

Dizziness is believed to be caused by problems that affect the balance mechanism in your inner ear.  Balance is dependent on the sensory information from the eyes, balance organs, and body muscles and joints. Here are some causes below:

  • Stress, anxiety and anxiety states
  • Side effects from medications
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Neurological diseases
  • Ear Infections (middle)
  • Heart / vascular disease or atherosclerosis
  • Diabetes or metabolic disorder
  • Anemia
  • Meniere’s Disease
  • Old Age
  • Migraines
  • Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Diagnosis

As always, the medical history of a patient is crucial when a diagnosis is to be made. Your Chiro & Sports Med chiropractor will conduct a thorough examination of the musculoskeletal system, as well as taking blood pressure and a full neurological examination if necessary. A thorough examination of the neck is always helpful for most patients with dizziness when all or part of the cause of the problem may lie there (called cervikogen dizziness). If It turns out that the investigations are negative, your chiropractor as a primary contact will refer you to a specialist.

This may include:

  • Audiometry (hearing test)
  • CT or MRI of the brain or inner ear
  • EEG – recording of brain electrical activity by electrodes attached to the scalp.
  • Various special tests balance and hearing

Chiropractic treatment for dizziness

When the type of dizziness is mapped out, the chiropractor will provide some treatment. Their aim above all is to help restore normal function in the parts of the nervous, muscular and skeletal system which disrupts the balance device. Malfunctions in the neck may also reinforce the second dizziness states. So treatment of dizziness and malfunction in the neck is an important part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program. A program that includes physical therapy and acupuncture, therefore during the rehabilitation period, it’s important to take responsibility. Being careful, for instance with tobacco and alcohol as well as reducing any use of tranquilizers and sleeping pills.  Most importantly, get only medications that have proven to be effective against dizziness.

Treatment by a chiropractor will help to restore the normal function of the locomotor and nervous system, to decrease pain, promote overall health and increase the quality of life. In the treatment of the individual patient, the emphasis is placed on seeing the patient from a holistic perspective on an overall assessment. Our chiropractor mainly uses his hands in the processing and uses a variety of methods and techniques to restore normal function in the joints, muscles, connective tissue, and nervous system.

They include:

  • Specific gentle paragraph corrections
  • Strains
  • Muscular techniques
  • Neurological techniques
  • Stabilizing training
  • Exercises, advice, and guidance

If you would like to make an appointment with one of the chiropractors at Chiro & Sports Med simply call our office on 9817 2005 and one of our friendly staff will organise an appointment for you.

Our practitioners are on hand to treat you