As a NUCCA chiropractor in Redwood City, CA, I help patients get relief from various conditions and symptoms. One of those is dizziness. Dizziness is a common symptom, and many things can cause it. If you are a person who has experienced dizziness following a head or neck injury, it can be related to an issue with the bones in the upper cervical spine (neck).
Seek the help of a doctor or a NUCCA chiropractor in Redwood City, CA if you think you may have received a concussion. It is one possible root cause why you experience dizziness.
Concussions are common in sports athletes. In 2018, Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers had to leave a game after banging heads with another player. Right after, he experienced a headache and felt dizzy. He then had to comply with the NBA protocol for head trauma that includes moving to a safe and quiet area.
Anyone can have a similar fate after a car accident or even tripping and falling. If you have a history of head or neck injury that may be contributing to your dizziness, I recommend that you turn to a professional right away.
When you have a blow to the head, it can affect your neck too. It is often a common reason for a misalignment in either the atlas (C1) or axis (C2) vertebrae. It results in dizziness and other symptoms later on.
At Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California, we employ a unique approach to fixing the issues of the neck that are bringing dizziness. The technique is called upper cervical chiropractic care, and it is incredibly gentle. It encourages the bones to return into position in a more natural way, allowing the body to heal from any existing damage. Every adjustment can provide long-lasting relief for those living with dizziness.Complete our contact form or call (650) 595-0500 to schedule a no-obligation appointment with me. You could be a few gentle adjustments away from recovery!
Vertigo is the feeling that you or the things around you are spinning when there is, in fact, no movement at all. The most common type of vertigo is called BPPV or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. If you have this condition, when you move your head quickly, you experience a bout of vertigo. For example, you may roll over in bed and get vertigo.
Recently, osteoporosis has come into the picture in connection with vertigo. A study revealed there is a connection between these two conditions. Osteoporosis happens when you lose bone density. Osteopenia is another condition which happens when there is mild bone loss; it is not as serious as osteoporosis. The connection these two conditions have with vertigo may have to do with the age of the person suffering. These are all recognized more often in older adults.
An additional finding in the study is very interesting. Men with osteoporosis were twice as likely to get vertigo, while women were three times as likely. Similar results exist with those who had osteopenia. One reason is the decrease in estrogen in women’s bodies as they age, which causes a decrease in bone density. This was true even more so in those who were over the age of 50, when estrogen and bone mass decrease rapidly. Interestingly, vertigo was seen more in men at this age. We can now conclude that lower levels of estrogen are not the reason for vertigo.
The study did not look at one important factor, however. It did not show any information about the relationship vertigo has to a misalignment in the upper part of the neck, particularly the C1 and C2 vertebrae. A misalignment here can put the brainstem under pressure and cause it to send improper signals to the brain about what is happening in the body. For example, if the brainstem tells the brain the body is in motion when it is not, vertigo can ensue.
Upper cervical chiropractors have the ability to correct these misalignments and restore brain-body communication. This often results in a relief of vertigo symptoms as the body begins to heal from the damage caused by the misalignment.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500 You can also click the button below.
if you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
Meniere’s disease is a condition of the inner ear brought on by the buildup of too much endolymph fluid. It has the following symptoms:
Vertigo: the sensation that you or the things around you are spinning
Tinnitus: a ringing or hissing noise in the ears
Hearing loss: can become permanent of not cared for properly
A feeling of congestion or fullness: usually only one ear is affected
Those in the age range of 20 to 50 years are most often impacted. However, anyone at any time can be afflicted with Meniere’s disease.
It seems as if the buildup of fluid is the main reason that Meniere’s happens. The minute, hair-like sensors inside the ear operate in conjunction with the endolymph fluid to relay messages to the brain about what is taking place in the body. If something changes, pressure, chemical make-up, or volume, the inner ear is unable to function properly. This can lead to Meniere’s disease. Some reasons this may come about can be linked to the following factors:
A virus
Immune system malfunction
A blockage in the ear or an abnormality of the ear’s structure
Genetics
Migraines
Allergies
Trauma to the head or neck
There are some influences that can bring about an episode of Meniere’s disease or even make it worse. The following are good things to avoid if you have Meniere’s disease:
Caffeine
Allergens
Alcohol
Smoking or chewing tobacco
Too much salt (encourages water retention)
Head and neck trauma
Here at Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California, we will examine your neck to see if either the C1 or C2 vertebra has moved out of alignment. This has been seen to cause Meniere’s disease. This type of misalignment impacts the brainstem and causes it to send false signals to the brain. By using a gentle method to realign the bone causing the problem, many patients see an improvement in or an end to Meniere’s disease.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500 You can also click the button below.
if you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
Vertigo can be very disabling. It is the feeling that you or the things around you are moving when they are actually standing still. It always has a rotational component to it. The vestibular system is the part of the body that is responsible for maintaining your balance. Therefore, if something is not working properly in your vestibular system, you may experience vertigo. Vertigo can be temporary (happening once and then never again) or more severe (lasting longer and leading to more complications).
There are some health conditions that can cause the vestibular system to malfunction:
No matter what the reason for your vertigo may be, a visit to us here at Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California might be just the answer you are looking for. Vertigo has been linked to a misaligned bone in the upper cervical spine. A misalignment here puts undue pressure on the brainstem and can cause the problems associated with vertigo.
We use a gentle method to realign the bones of the neck and restore proper communication throughout the body. This is often all that is required to see a reduction in the symptoms of vertigo. Some see it go away entirely.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500 You can also click the button below.
if you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
Vertigo is described as the sensation that you or the things around you are spinning when there is actually no motion. It affects up to 10 percent of those under the age of 40. Once you reach 40, the number affected jumps to 40 percent. In a recent decade, vertigo was the reason for 2.5% of visits to the emergency room.
No one fully understands why vertigo happens. There has been a connection seen between a malfunction in the vestibular system and the onset of vertigo. This system is responsible for controlling your sense of balance. It makes up part of the central nervous system. Fluid and crystals located in the inner ear send signals to the brain about where the body is located in its environment. If these signals become distorted for some reason, vertigo may result.
If you visit your family doctor due to having the sensation of vertigo, he may recommend certain drugs focused on caring for individual symptoms, such as nausea. Others may suggest trying particular exercises to help your body get used to dealing with your vestibular dysfunction. Some doctors may help you do a particular exercise to help realign the crystals of the inner ear that may have moved out of their proper position. In fact, a doctor located in Colorado has discovered a new way of performing a half somersault to do this. This is good news for vertigo patients as they are trending toward wanting more natural ways to care for vertigo.
A natural, drug-free way of caring for vertigo is gaining popularity. It is upper cervical chiropractic care. A misalignment in the bones of the neck can be one reason that improper signals are being sent to the brain. If they are out of place, they can put the brainstem under stress. This leads to the brainstem telling the brain that the body is in motion when it is not.
Here at Advanced Spinal Care, we use a gentle method to realign these bones and reduce the pressure on the brainstem. This often leads to a reduction in or elimination of vertigo symptoms.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500 You can also click the button below.
if you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
When people say they are feeling dizzy, it may be hard to know exactly what that means. Disequilibrium and vertigo are both described by the term dizziness. So, let’s take a closer look at what each of these means, what their symptoms are, and how to properly describe them so as to get the right type of care.
Vertigo: This is the sensation of movement or motion where there is none. You may feel as if the room is spinning or the things around you are spinning. It can also refer to a wrong interpretation of movement. For example, you may be moving forward, but feel like you are moving backward.
Disequilibrium: This is a feeling of being off balance or unsteady. You need assistance to walk from one area to another because it may appear that the ground is coming up toward you, tilting, or you may feel like you are floating. It is also the sudden feeling that you are about to fall.
Not only disequilibrium but other types of dizziness can often be attributed to trauma to the head or neck. This has been confirmed through a variety of case studies that prove once the misalignment in the bones of the upper neck is corrected, dizziness goes away. Misalignments like this may occur due to a concussion or whiplash. Anything causing the neck muscles to overextend can be a cause for the top two bones – the C1 and C2 – to move out of alignment.
Here at Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California, we offer our patients a gentle and effective method to help the bones of the neck to move back into proper alignment. Rather than popping or cracking the spine, it encourages the bones naturally to realign themselves leading to a longer-lasting adjustment. Even if you have been injured many years ago, you may still be feeling the effects, and it is possible to reverse these. Many of our patients see an improvement or total resolution of the problem of disequilibrium after just a few visits.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500 You can also click the button below.
if you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
When people say they are feeling dizzy, they may be describing anything from lightheadedness to a full-blown episode of dizziness. Feeling dizzy often occurs following an injury to the head or neck. An example is seen with the basketball player Kevin Love from the Clevland Cavaliers, who endured an injury on the court.
Love reports hitting his head while in the 1st half of the game and remaining on the court until he began to feel dizzy later on. He got diagnosed with a concussion and was required to leave the court area as outlined by NBA protocols. Why do head injuries cause dizziness?
The neck is very susceptible to injury, particularly to a misalignment of the C1 vertebra. This type of injury often accompanies concussions. A misalignment here can lead to a reduction in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and blood flow to the brain. Pressure is often exerted on the brainstem as well. This causes you to feel dizzy and a variety of other symptoms. It is vital, therefore, if you or someone you love has had a concussion, to seek the proper care from an upper cervical chiropractor.
Here at our Redwood City, California office, we thoroughly examine our patients to find the exact location of their misalignment. This often calls for the use of x-rays and specific measurements. Once the misalignment is found, we use a gentle method that works along with the body to encourage the bones to move back into place on their own without popping or having to force them. This leads to a longer-lasting adjustment that helps to stabilize cerebrospinal fluid flow and decrease the pressure being placed on the brainstem. Some patients see instant results while others have gradual results as their bodies begin to heal.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500 You can also click the button below.
if you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
It may be hard to believe, but vertigo affects 40% of people over the age of 40. Vertigo has been described as a sensation that the person or the things around the person are spinning or otherwise moving. It may only last a few minutes or as long as a few hours at a time. The latter can indicate a more serious condition may be to blame, such as migraines or Meniere’s disease.
A link has been noted between head and neck trauma and the onset of vertigo. This can be attributed to such things as a concussion, whiplash, or a trip and fall, often resulting in a misalignment in the C1 (atlas) or C2 (axis) vertebra. Why is this so serious?
The brainstem, the communication superhighway of the body, lies in this area at the base of the skull. If a misalignment is present, it can lead to pressure being placed upon the brainstem. Another problem that may ensue is a restriction of proper blood and cerebrospinal fluid flow to and from the brain. The vestibulocochlear nerve – the one responsible for sending signals about where the body is located in its environment – may also be affected. All of these problems set up the perfect conditions for vertigo to occur.
A case study observed 60 vertigo patients after they received the care of an upper cervical chiropractor. Out of the 60 participants, 48 reported a total remission in vertigo symptoms after less than 6 months of care. The remaining patients saw a decrease in the severity of symptoms and frequency of attacks. Interestingly, 56 of these recalled having previous neck or head injuries, such as horseback riding injuries, slipping and falling, or automobile accidents.
Here at Advanced Spinal Care, we use a gentle, precise method to encourage the neck bones to move back into their proper position. Once this is done, patients often report seeing similar results to those in the study noted above.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500 You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
Meniere’s disease is a condition of the inner ear and comes along with a variety of debilitating symptoms. This condition can affect one’s day to day living. Symptoms include:
This can last for 20 minutes to an hour or can go on for a few days. It generally affects those in the age range of 20-50 years old. The cause is uncertain but is more-than-likely due to improper levels of fluid in the inner ear. This is one area of the body the controls a person’s balance. Medical doctors may suggest a number of different areas of care that focus on controlling the symptoms. These may include:
The success rates of these vary greatly. However, getting to the root cause can bring about longer lasting effects. Studies have revealed that there is a great probability that Meniere’s disease is related to a misalignment of the upper neck vertebrae, particularly the C1 and C2. One study conducted by Professor Hulse from Heidelberg University discovered that out 259 patients diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, all had sustained some kind of injury to the neck or head in the past. Another study of 62 patients revealed that hearing problems related to Meniere’s could be taken care of by chiropractic care.
Upper cervical chiropractic care, the specialty practiced here at Advanced Spinal Care, has been successful in helping Meniere’s patients find some relief in case studies. We have been trained to find specific problems of the upper neck bones and they employ a gentle method to help move the bones back to their original place. This helps the body to function better overall and has been effective in helping those with Meniere’s disease.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500 You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
Vertigo is a specific form of dizziness – one that causes a false sensation of spinning. The dizziness that characterizes vertigo arises from either the inner ear or from parts of the nervous system that give the body its sense of balance. Other symptoms that can come along with vertigo are nausea, vomiting, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and even hearing loss itself.
When it comes to treatment options, the common options are few. Usually, it's either medications or therapies to try and remedy the problem. However, research shows big promise for those looking for a natural and lasting solution.
A look at the facts of two separate studies sheds some good light on the connection between the health and alignment of your spine and vertigo. One study looked at 139 people with medically diagnosed Meniere's disease, of which vertigo is a major component. Every one of the people in the study suffered some type of trauma to the neck, most from car accidents, that caused a whiplash-type injury. Under upper cervical chiropractic care, 136 of the 139 experienced an absence or dramatic reduction in their symptoms. Another study looked at 60 patients with chronic vertigo. Of the 60, 56 of them could recall some kind of trauma to the head or neck, whether it was from a car accident, sporting injury, or just a slip and fall. All of the patients in this study either saw a disappearance or reduction of their symptoms.
What do these people have in common? As a result of injuries, all the people in these studies suffered from an upper cervical misalignment. Your atlas vertebra is the one that sits just beneath the skull, and when you sustain some type of trauma to the head or neck, it is very likely to misalign. When this occurs, the brainstem and spinal cord that the atlas usually protects are compromised, and normal signals that travel between the brain and body can be obstructed. This can lead to the many symptoms of a vertigo attack. At Advanced Spinal Care, we take each of our patients through a thorough analysis to determine if an atlas misalignment is at the root of your vertigo. If it is, you may become another success story like those in the studies above through upper cervical chiropractic.
References:
Burcon MT, Upper cervical specific protocol and results for 139 patients with medically diagnosed Meniere's disease. J Vert Sublux Res 2010; Nov:1-10.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500 You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
