Opening your eyes, and seeing the world standing still and in its proper place is something we all take for granted. That’s how it should be and how it is . . . unless you suffer from vertigo. With vertigo, at any moment, your reality may shift dramatically, and the room begins to spin. Suddenly you are on the floor, extremely nauseated, and have to ride it out until the world returns to its normal position. For many people suffering from vertigo, multiple MRI’s, countless exams, and a variety of specialists leave them where they started—asking what is wrong with me and still without an answer. Let’s look at what determines balance and what might be getting missed. There are three main areas that take in information and send it to the brain (more specifically the brainstem) and determine balance.

1. The eyes: If you put on someone else’s glasses what happens? Things are blurry, and often you feel wobbly and start feeling nauseated. Your eyes let your brain know where your head and body are in relation to the world, and what movement is occurring.
2. The vestibular system: This is the inner ear. There are balance organs in the inner ear that give the brain information about movement and the position of your head. If this system is off, it can cause vertigo.
3. The proprioceptive system: This final system is the one most often overlooked. This is simply the receptors in joints and muscles that tell your brain where your head, shoulders, and body are in relation to the world. These sensors respond to stretching or any pressure put on them. Almost 80% of those receptors are in the upper neck. If the bones of the upper neck are misaligned, this will cause your head to tilt and send incorrect information to the brain. It is a “garbage in, garbage out” type of situation. Bad input equals bad output, and suddenly the room is spinning in your head, when in reality it is sitting still.

Putting it altogether, the brainstem takes information from your eyes, balance organs in the ear, and sensors in your muscles and joints. If any of these is off, you may suffer a vertigo attack. In my office I usually see the people that have tried physical therapy, have had MRI’s, and are still suffering. Having an upper cervical exam is a great first step if you suffer from vertigo, as this can rule in or out, the possibility that your vertigo is coming from your neck. I have had a lot of success with people who have come to me with vertigo. Quite often, they find relief after just one upper cervical chiropractic session with me. By using the techniques of upper cervical, I can gently move the axis and atlas bones back into place, which allows the brain to communicate with the rest of the nervous system in the correct way, and stopping the world from spinning for vertigo sufferers. So if you are suffering from vertigo, please call us at 239-243-8810 for a free consultation at Upper Cervical Health Centers of Fort Myers.