Dizziness and balance problems can disrupt your life, making simple movements feel disorienting or even dangerous. While vertigo often stems from inner ear dysfunction, nerve interference, or spinal misalignment, many conventional treatments focus on symptom management rather than the root cause. On the other hand, chiropractic treatment enables you to obtain a lasting remedy.
What Causes Vertigo and Balance Issues?
Vertigo is not just occasional dizziness—it’s a condition that causes a spinning sensation, unsteadiness, and difficulty maintaining balance. It often results from:
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): Small calcium particles in the inner ear become dislodged, affecting balance signals.
- Vestibular Disorders: Infections or inflammation in the inner ear can disrupt equilibrium.
- Cervicogenic Dizziness: Misalignments in the upper cervical spine interfere with nerve function and blood flow to the brain.
- Meniere’s Disease: Excess fluid in the inner ear can trigger vertigo, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss.
- Neurological Conditions: Issues such as migraines, multiple sclerosis, or concussions can impact balance and coordination.
How Chiropractic Adjustments Improve Balance
Chiropractic care offers a targeted, non-invasive approach that restores balance naturally, providing long-term relief without the need for medication. They can help restore stability, effectively reduce vertigo symptoms, and support overall equilibrium by addressing these underlying causes.
Correcting Cervical Spine Misalignment
The upper cervical spine (C1 and C2 vertebrae) is directly connected to the brainstem and inner ear, both of which regulate balance. When these vertebrae shift out of alignment, they can compress nerves and restrict blood flow, contributing to dizziness. Precise chiropractic adjustments restore proper positioning, allowing the nervous system to function optimally.
Enhancing Vestibular System Function
Your inner ear sends crucial signals to the brain about head position and movement. If these signals become disrupted, balance problems arise. Chiropractors use specialized techniques such as:
- The Epley Maneuver: Helps reposition dislodged inner ear crystals causing BPPV.
- Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT): A combination of adjustments and targeted exercises to retrain balance pathways.
Increased Proprioception and Stability
Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense movement, position, and balance, allowing for smooth and coordinated motion. When spinal misalignments disrupt sensory feedback, it can lead to feelings of unsteadiness or a lack of control over movement.
It helps restore proprioceptive awareness by aligning the spine to improve nerve communication, improving coordination, and strengthening postural muscles for greater stability. With better proprioception, the body can respond more effectively to shifts in position, reducing the risk of dizziness, falls, and balance-related issues.
Boosting Blood Flow to the Brain
Restricted spinal movement can compress arteries supplying blood to balance-related areas of the brain, such as the cerebellum and brainstem. Adjustments restore proper circulation, ensuring your brain receives the oxygen and nutrients needed for stability.
Reducing Nerve Irritation and Inflammation
Chronic inflammation in the neck and spine can increase nerve sensitivity, making vertigo symptoms worse. Misalignments put pressure on nerves, disrupting balance signals and causing dizziness. These adjustments can relieve this pressure, reduce inflammation, and restore normal nerve function, providing lasting relief from vertigo and improving overall stability.
Advanced Chiropractic Techniques for Vertigo Treatment
Beyond traditional spinal adjustments, chiropractors use advanced methods to specifically target vertigo and balance disorders:
Atlas Orthogonal Technique
A precise, instrument-assisted adjustment that gently realigns the upper cervical spine. Since this area directly affects balance control, correcting misalignments can relieve pressure on the brainstem and improve overall stability.
Functional Neurology Therapy
It involves targeted exercises designed to retrain the brain’s ability to process balance signals. This approach strengthens neural pathways, improving coordination and reducing dizziness.
Gonstead Technique
A comprehensive spinal adjustment method that focuses on restoring proper alignment in key areas affecting equilibrium. By addressing structural imbalances, this technique helps improve posture, circulation, and nerve function.
Don’t just mask vertigo symptoms—get to the root cause. We, at Southern Touch Healthcare, our chiropractic specialists, can help you address them with a tailored treatment plan for your vertigo and balance issues. Schedule your visit today!
