I normally start an initial patient consultation off with one simple request—tell me what is going on. I have reviewed the chart, but that only tells part of the story. I want the full story. How is it affecting your life? What have you tried so far? How long has this been going on? Very often, as they tell me their struggle, I feel a mix of compassion and excitement. Compassion for their struggle, and excitement that I have a different approach that is unlike anything they have tried, and my confidence is ultra high that I will be able to help them.
One of the conditions that elicits the greatest amount of these two feelings in me is Meniere’s disease. If you or someone you know suffers with this disease, then you already know it is life altering. The symptoms of this disease are debilitating and include:
- An intense, and often unexpected feeling of vertigo, which can make things like driving a thing of the past.
- Balance issues that can make walking difficult.
- An almost constant buzzing in your ear that simply wears on you.
- The horrible feeling that you often just can’t think clearly.
The treatment options aren’t really all that encouraging. Physicians recommend dietary changes, medications, injections, physical therapy, and at the end of the road, surgery. For some patients, one of these may be the answer to their problems, but for many, they have little to no impact.
If you have Meniere’s disease, and have not been able to find relief for it, I have some exciting research to share with you. Dr. Michael Burcon, Upper Cervical Chiropractor and director of the Meniere’s Research Institute, conducted a 5-year study with 300 Meniere’s disease patients, and the results are incredible. Let’s look at the results first, then I will tell you how they were achieved.
Vertigo intensity was rated by 300 patients on a scale of 1-10
- Prior to treatment the average score was 8.5
- Six weeks post treatment the average was down to 3.0
- At one year 2.0
- Two years 1.4
- Three years 0.9
- Four, Five, and Six Years 0.8
The improvements made a significant difference for 291 out of 300 patients, affecting whether or not they could work, drive and/or have a positive relationship with their spouse. For those that still had occasional attacks, they occurred less often, lasted for a shorter duration, and were not as intense. Recovery time was also significantly shorter.
The results speak for themselves. The next question is, how were they achieved?
Dr. Burcon has established a strong link between whiplash trauma (car accident, fall, blow to the head) and the development of Meniere’s disease.
The whiplash injury creates an dysfunction in the upper bones of the neck, known as subluxation. The joint abnormalities are a function of tight cervical musculature, limiting the joints and the cervical spine range of motion. The subluxation or abnormal joint motion of either the Atlas or Axis (the top two joints in the vertebrae) creates abnormal input into the central nerve system (CNS). The end result is Eustachian tube dysfunction in the ears.
By analyzing and correcting misalignments in the upper neck, Dr. Burcon was able to return the bones to normal function, and restore Eustachian tube function.
In my office, here in Fort Myers, I practice the same Upper Cervical Chiropractic technique as Dr. Burcon, and have seen very similar results. One of my recent Meniere’s disease patients was suffering from two to three severe attacks a week. Right now, she has experienced a whole month without a severe attack, and we are both so thrilled with this result!
If you suffer from this debilitating disease, I urge you to have your neck evaluated by a trained upper cervical specialist to find out if you can be helped as so many others have.
Cited Source: Health Outcomes Following Cervical Specific Protocol in 300 Patients with Meniere’s Followed Over Six Years Michael T. Burcon, B.Ph., D.C. 1
