What Is Vertigo?
It’s a sensation that you feel when you move, spin in circles or stand very quickly. Typically, you feel like the space or room is spinning or swaying when in fact you’re sitting or standing still. You can experience this feeling of imbalance plus lack of control for several minutes or even several hours.
Causes of Vertigo
BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo), which is also known as Positional Vertigo or Benign Vertigo, is among the most common conditions that cause dizziness and vertigo.
Generally, approximately, 20 percent of all dizziness cases are due to Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo and about 50 per cent of all dizziness cases in older patients is as a result of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.
Other common causes of vertigo include labyrinthitis or vestibular neuronitis, which is the inflammation of your inner ear. Also, there are other causes of vertigo that are more serious like tumours, stroke and neurological diseases like MS (multiple sclerosis). With these conditions, other symptoms may also be present, and they’re often picked up during a chiropractic or neurological examination.
Causes of BPPV
BPPV usually begins after the following:
- Use of ototoxic medications such as gentamicin
- Due to an ageing process
- A virus or severe cold
- A head injury
In under 50-year-olds, whiplash and head trauma are the most common causes. The most common cause in older people is often the degeneration of the inner ear vestibular system. With advancing age, BPPV gets more common. In 50 per cent of all cases, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is called “idiopathic”, meaning that it occurs without any reason.
BPPV Diagnosis
Chiropractors can diagnose this disorder after they have taken a full case history, then doing a physical as well as a neurological examination. At Neuroworks not only do we use tests like the Dix–Hallpike test or Nylen–Barany test/manoeuvre, are used in differentiating peripheral from central vertigo but we have a state of the art balance testing lab in which we have computerised video nystagmography including air calorics, head movement sensors and a computerised balance testing platform. We use this equipment not only to objectively make a more exact diagnosis than physical examination but also to monitor progress.
BPPV Treatment
BPPV is treated using certain repositioning manoeuvres. Chiropractors are trained to do the Semont or Epley manoeuvre, a simple technique that will cure your BPPV.
Your chiropractor is going to move you into certain positions, which depends on the previous assessment outcome, using gravity in moving the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystals away into a specific area of your inner ear where they’ll reduce your symptoms.
That will be followed by home exercises (Vestibular rehabilitation exercises).
Otoconia (crystals) formation in your inner ear canals will reduce under these conditions, hence lessening the probability of future attacks. This treatment is effective and within 3 to 4 treatments, 80 percent of the patients are symptom-free. If you need a highly experienced Chiswick chiropractor, feel free to contact Neuroworks Chiropractic Clinic.