Can a Chiropractor Help With Vertigo? When Chiropractic Care May Be Considered
For people experiencing vertigo, even a slight head movement can trigger a sudden head spin, turning everyday moments into a disorienting struggle. If you are seeking lasting relief, you might be wondering: Can a chiropractor help with vertigo?
A chiropractor can potentially help with your dizziness, but whether manual care is right for you comes down to why you are experiencing symptoms in the first place. Because treatment approaches vary across neck-related issues, inner-ear dysfunctions, and central nervous system conditions, establishing an accurate diagnosis is vital to ensure you receive the proper treatment.
At Brenner Chiropractic, we can help determine if your vertigo may benefit from conservative care or whether seeing a specialist for medical attention would be best.
Key Takeaways
- A chiropractor may be able to help with vertigo or dizziness if it is related to musculoskeletal conditions.
- Vertigo is a symptom that can be caused by inner-ear problems, migraines, and other medical conditions, each requiring different types of care.
- A responsible chiropractor will perform a detailed evaluation first to determine if your specific case is appropriate for their care or if you should be referred to a specialist.
- Certain movements during an exam or treatment can temporarily provoke symptoms, which is different from a new, severe, or worsening condition that needs immediate reassessment.
What Is Vertigo, and Is It the Same as Dizziness?
Vertigo and dizziness are not the same symptom, though some may use the terms interchangeably.
Vertigo is the false sensation that you or your surroundings are spinning, tilting, or moving. Although it’s a type of dizziness, not all dizziness is related to vertigo.
Dizziness is a general term used to describe sensations such as feeling lightheaded, unsteady on your feet, or about to faint. True vertigo involves a rotational or moving component.
What Can Cause Vertigo?
Identifying the source of your symptoms is necessary for managing them. Because vertigo can stem from different origins, treatment that works for one person may be ineffective or inappropriate for another.
Some potential causes include:
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): This inner-ear disorder is caused by tiny calcium carbonate crystals becoming dislodged and moving into the wrong part of the ear’s vestibular system. Particular head movements provoke brief, severe dizzy spells.
- Other Inner-Ear and Vestibular Disorders: Conditions like Meniere’s disease or vestibular neuritis (inflammation of a nerve in the inner ear) can cause severe vertigo. Additional symptoms may also include tinnitus or hearing loss.
- Vestibular Migraine: Many people with a history of migraines can experience vertigo as a primary symptom, even without a severe headache.
- Medication or Blood Pressure Issues: Dizziness can be a side effect of many medications. It can also be related to a sudden drop in blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension).
- Neck-Related (Cervicogenic) Dizziness: In some cases, dysfunction of the joints, muscles, and sensory nerves of the upper neck may contribute to unsteadiness and dizziness. This can be accompanied by neck pain or stiffness.
Can a Chiropractor Help With Vertigo?
A chiropractor may be able to help with vertigo or dizziness when a comprehensive examination points to a musculoskeletal or neck-related component. Chiropractic adjustments are not a one-size-fits-all treatment for all causes of vertigo, and many patients might find more effective treatment by seeing a vestibular therapist, Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist, or neurologist.
When someone comes to us with vertigo symptoms, we first need to determine whether their symptoms are connected to the neck and whether conservative manual care can help. Manual therapy may help reduce the intensity of dizziness in people classified as having cervicogenic dizziness, but the effect can vary based on several factors.
For this reason, we are careful and precise in our evaluation. If we suspect the cause is something like BPPV or a vestibular migraine, we can refer you to a medical specialist to treat the underlying cause.
What Might a Chiropractor Do for Someone With Vertigo?
If you visit our office with symptoms of dizziness, here’s what you can expect from Dr. Brenner and his team throughout the process.
1. Review the Symptoms and Medical History
We’ll ask you to describe what the sensation feels like, when it started, and what triggers it. After listening to your concerns, we can discuss your overall health picture, including any neck pain, headaches, recent injuries such as whiplash, hearing changes, medications, and other neurological symptoms.
2. Examine Balance, Movement, and Neurological Signs
Dr. Brenner will perform a physical and neurological examination based on your symptoms. This may involve assessing your balance and coordination, checking the range of motion in your neck, and observing your eye movements. These tests help screen for red flags and determine if your symptoms seem positional or related to neck movement.
3. Determine Whether Chiropractic Care Is Appropriate
Based on your history and examination, Dr. Brenner will recommend the best path forward. Sometimes, chiropractic care may not be suitable to address the cause of your symptoms. If your symptoms suggest a non-musculoskeletal cause, you may need to see another specialist to seek effective treatment.
4. Use Conservative Care When Appropriate
If the evaluation indicates a relevant neck or musculoskeletal component, we may recommend a course of conservative care. This could include gentle manual therapy and mobilization of the cervical spine, soft-tissue work to address muscle tension, and specific exercises to improve mobility and control.
Chiropractic adjustments are not meant to “cure” vertigo. Instead, this treatment can help improve mechanical function and reduce irritation that may be contributing to your symptoms.
What About BPPV and the Epley Maneuver?
Repositioning techniques like the Epley maneuver are different from a chiropractic spinal adjustment.
The Epley maneuver uses a guided sequence of head and body movements to reposition displaced crystals in the inner ear. ENT specialists may recommend it as a treatment for a patient with BPPV. A chiropractic spinal adjustment, on the other hand, is intended to restore joint mobility and targets nervous system signaling in the neck.
Having an accurate professional evaluation is essential to determine which approach your specific condition requires.
Can a Chiropractor Make Vertigo Worse?
Certain diagnostic tests or movements used during an examination can temporarily provoke your familiar vertigo symptoms. Similarly, some patients may feel temporary soreness or even mild, short-lived dizziness after a treatment session.
However, this is different from a treatment that worsens your underlying condition. If a treatment is not appropriate for the root cause of your vertigo, it may fail to help or could potentially aggravate your symptoms. You should never dismiss new, severe, or rapidly worsening dizziness as a normal reaction.
Always communicate any significant changes in your symptoms to your provider so your treatment can be reassessed.
When Vertigo Needs Medical Attention Instead
While many causes of dizziness are benign, some symptoms can signal a serious medical emergency, such as a stroke. If you or someone else experiences sudden vertigo accompanied by any of the following symptoms, seek urgent medical attention immediately:
- A sudden, severe headache
- New weakness, numbness, or paralysis in the face, arm, or leg
- Facial drooping
- Slurred speech, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding others
- Double vision or other major, sudden vision changes
- Fainting or loss of consciousness
- Severe difficulty standing or walking
What To Expect if You Visit Brenner Chiropractic With Dizziness or Vertigo
At Brenner Chiropractic, your safety and well-being are our top priorities. If you schedule a visit to see whether chiropractic care can help with your vertigo symptoms, you can expect us to exercise clinical diligence.
We’ll conduct a thorough discussion of your symptoms and history before providing an honest recommendation of whether your presentation is a good fit for chiropractic care. If it is, we will develop a conservative, individualized treatment plan. If it is not, we will help you navigate your next steps.
FAQs About Chiropractic Care and Vertigo
What tests will a chiropractor perform to evaluate my vertigo?
A chiropractor will perform range-of-motion assessments, balance testing, cranial nerve screenings, and orthopedic neck tests. They may also use positional tests to see if specific head angles trigger involuntary eye movements (nystagmus).
Are chiropractic adjustments for vertigo painful?
No, chiropractic adjustments for vertigo typically utilize gentle, highly controlled techniques focused on the upper neck. While you may feel mild pressure or hear a popping sound, the procedure itself should not be painful.
How many chiropractic sessions does it take to help with vertigo?
The number of sessions depends entirely on whether your dizziness stems from a joint strain, posture issue, or cervical injury. Your provider will establish a personalized timeline after your initial evaluation.
Can I combine chiropractic care with physical or vestibular therapy?
Absolute consistency across care teams often produces the best results. Chiropractic adjustments focus on joint function and spinal alignment, which can complement vestibular rehabilitation exercises designed to retrain your brain’s balance system.
Do I need an X-ray or an MRI before seeing a chiropractor for vertigo?
Not always, but advanced imaging may be ordered if you have a history of trauma, severe pain, or neurological symptoms. Your chiropractor will perform an initial physical exam first to decide if diagnostic imaging is necessary for your safety.
Find Treatment for Vertigo or Dizziness in Bellmore, NY
Navigating the world when it feels like it’s spinning is challenging and stressful. Getting a clear diagnostic evaluation is where your path to stability begins.
If you are experiencing dizziness or vertigo, Dr. Brenner can help you find clarity. At Brenner Chiropractic, we provide comprehensive, gentle assessments to determine if a chiropractic treatment plan can help restore your balance. If not, our team will help guide you toward the care you need.
Contact us today or schedule an appointment to start feeling grounded again.