Meniere’s Disease, Vertigo, and Your Neck
Vertigo is only one component of Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear. Aside from episodes of vertigo, Meniere’s disease sufferers also experience tinnitus (ringing in the ear), loss of hearing, and a feeling of congestion or fullness in the ear. The vertigo attacks can either come on slowly and expectedly following a period of muffled hearing or ringing in the ear, or they can happen suddenly. At times, vertigo can be so extreme that it might cause a person to lose balance and fall in what is referred to as a “drop attack.”
The Search for Answers About Vertigo
The fact remains that there is still a lot to be understood about the mechanisms behind why Meniere’s disease occurs. The abnormal volume of fluid found in the inner ear can either be due to the production of excess fluid or the inadequate drainage or absorption of the fluid. In either case, the excess fluid creates pressure within the inner ear that impacts the body’s ability to regulate its balance, leading to vertigo.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic – A Natural Alternative
Common treatment options usually include anti-vertigo medications, injections into the inner ear, and in severe cases surgery. A growing number of Meniere’s disease sufferers are turning to a specialty within the field of chiropractic called upper cervical care, which focuses on the alignment of the upper vertebrae in the neck. These are important because of where they are positioned in the spine at the very base of the skull. Not only are they in close proximity to the structures of the inner ear, but any misalignment here can negatively affect how signals concerning body position and balance are relayed to the brain over the nerves and spinal cord.
At Asbury Family Chiropractic, correcting upper cervical misalignments is our focus. Using the Atlas Orthogonal technique, we are able to very precisely determine how your atlas has misaligned and customize a specific adjustment for each patient’s needs. Restoring normal atlas alignment will remove the pressure on the tissues of the inner ear, as well as restore normal brain body communication. This has helped many people to experience relief or even complete remission of their vertigo and other Meniere’s-related symptoms.
