Vertigo
The vertigo sufferer feels that he is moving
or that objects are whirling around him. Other symptoms can
include dizziness, faintness, lightheadedness or disequilibrium.
Cervicogenic
vertigo and chiropractic, managing a single case - a case
report. Cagle P, Journal of the American Chiropractic Association
May 1995 p.83-84.
Case study of a 71 year-old woman who had “sudden
onset of severe disabling vertigo.”
From the abstract:
The patient tried standard medical care for
almost a year with very little relief. Then, she went for chiropractic
care. The cervical adjustments she received resolved the
vertigo.
This short paper includes a well-written section on
the causes of vertigo, and discusses the theories of cervicogenic
vertigo’s causes.
A combined approach
for the treatment of cervical vertigo. Bracher ESB, Almieda
CIR, Almieda RR, et al. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological
Therapeutics. Feb. 2000:23(2), pp.96-100.
Fifteen individuals
who suffered from cervical vertigo were given “spinal manipulation” with
various other interventions including analgesic electrotherapy,
labyrinth sedation, surface electromyography biofeedback and
an exercise program.
After five treatment sessions over 41 days
60% of patients reported complete remission of vertigo. Twenty
per cent of patients reported consistent improvement with rate,
mild recurrence of symptoms. Only two patients were still using
medication compared to nine originally.
Note from Dr. Koren:
with all the interventions employed, which one got the patients
better? Who knows? That is a major weakness of this paper,
too many variables.
Vertibulospinal reflexes in patients with
cervical disequilibrium (“The cervical staggering”).
Hulse M, Holzl M. HNO 2000;48(4):295-301.
67 patients with suspected
vertigo received chiropractic adjustments to the cervical spine.
Using cranial corphorpography and posturography the patient’s
vestibulo reactions were tested before and after adjustments.
Results
revealed “A highly significant improvement
in pathological vestibulospinal reactions after chiropractic…these
results show that a functional disorder of the cervical vertebrae
influences the vestibulospinal reactions.”
Treatment of
vertigo: a case report. Keith K. Et al. Chiropractic Dec. 89;2(4):95-96.
Describes a correction of vertigo under chiropractic care.
Cervicogenic
vertigo: a report of three cases. Cote P, Mior SA, Fitz-Ritson,
D. J of the Canadian Chiropractic Assoc, 1991; 35:89-94.
Case
#1: A 65-year-old man with a 20-year history of vertigo. Motion
palpation revealed a C1-C2 dysfunction; adjusted 8 times over
a three-week period. The patient reported complete relief with
no return of symptoms at 18-month follow-up.
Case #2: A 62-year-old
man with a 10 year history of vertigo associated with neck
pain, headache, interscapular pain, and occasional nausea.
C1-2 fixation was adjusted.
After the first visit patient stated
the vertigo was gone but some neck pain persisted. At six year
follow-up the patient complained of occasional exacerbations
of vertigo (approximately once per year) that were quickly
relieved by upper cervical adjustment.
Case #3: 30-year-old
female with headache, neck pain and dizziness following auto
accident. Likely TMJ involvement. Upper cervical and thoracic
adjustments in conjunction with soft tissue work for the TMJ.
After one month, the patient no longer complained of dizziness
or headache. At 3 year follow-up, the patient reported only
one recurrence of vertigo which resolved after chiropractic
visit.
Assessment of cervicogenic vertigo. Fitz-Ritson D. J
Manipulative Physiol Ther 1991;14:193-8.
This is a report of
112 cervicogenic vertigo patients who had excellent results
following chiropractic cervical subluxation correction.
A combined
approach for the treatment of cervical vertigo. Bracher E,
Bleggi C, Almeida C et al. Proceedings of the 5th Biennial
Congress of the World Federation of Chiropractic. 1999:154-155
This
is a report of 16 cervicogenic vertigo patients who had excellent
results following chiropractic cervical subluxation correction.
Mobilization
of the Spine. Grieve GP Churchill Livingston, London/New York,
4th edition (1984) 22-23.
All those experienced in manipulation
can report numerous examples of migrainous headaches, disequilibrium
(vertigo), subjective visual disturbances, feelings of retro-orbital
pressure, dysphagia, dysphonia, heaviness of a limb, extra
segmental paraesthesia, restriction of respiratory excursion,
abdominal nausea and the cold sciatic leg being relieved
by manual or mechanical treatment of the vertebral column.
Copyright
2004 Koren Publications, Inc. & Tedd Koren,
D.C.