Vertigo

If you suffer from Vertigo, CoLAB Health and Body is here to help. Taking a collaborative approach, we are here to help you deal with your vertigo and the associated symptoms, so you can get back to your life.

Vertigo is a sensation of spinning or motion that is most often described as dizziness or feeling off-balance. It is not the same as lightheadedness; those with vertigo feel as if they are actually moving or spinning, or that the world is spinning around them. There are two main types of vertigo: peripheral and central. Peripheral vertigo is the most common and happens when there is an issue with your vehicular nerve or inner ear (both of which help with your sense of balance). Central vertigo is less common and occurs when there is a condition affecting the brain like a stroke, infection or traumatic brain injury. Vertigo can cause falls, which may result in bone fractures or other injuries. Vertigo may also interfere with quality of life and hinder the ability to work or drive.

Symptoms of Vertigo

Those suffering from vertigo typically describe it as feeing like they are:

• Tilting
• Spinning
• Swaying
• Unbalanced
• Pulled in one direction

Other symptoms that may also accompany vertigo include:

• Vomiting
• Feeling nauseated
• Headache
• Abnormal or jerking eye movements
• Hearing loss (in one or both ears)
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Sweating

Treatment for vertigo depends on the underlying cause. At CoLAB Health and Body, we will do an overall assessment of your spinal and overall health in order to get to the root of the problem. A variety of treatments can be used to help with vertigo, either separately or in conjunction with each other. These include chiropractic care, physiotherapy, and massage therapy.

• Chiropractic care can realign the spine and help treat the causes of vertigo, rather than just helping to alleviate the symptoms of vertigo. Misalignment of spine can cause nerve interference that does not allow the brain to receive proper signals. A spinal adjustment may remove any nerve interference, thereby diminishing vertigo symptoms. Chiropractic adjustments may work to alleviate a specific type of vertigo called cervical vertigo. Chiropractic care manipulates the upper cervical spine into the proper alignment which may reposition the neck back to its optimal position thereby helping to ease dizziness. Spinal adjustments remove debris buildup located in the inner ear, which can restore balance and further reduce the symptoms of vertigo.
• Vestibular rehabilitation, which is a type of physiotherapy, is an exercise-based program aimed to improve balance and reduce the dizziness associated with vertigo. The Physiotherapists at CoLAB Health and Body are skilled in providing you with specific exercises to help improve your balance and alleviate your dizziness. Exercises may include those that focus on relaxing specific muscles in the shoulder and neck, as well as training your eyes and their movements. The result is better balance and quality of life.
• Certain types of vertigo, including those caused or exacerbated by stress, may be helped with Massage therapy. Massage therapy that increases blood flow through the neck and head arteries, and reduces stress and muscle tension, can help to treat some of the symptoms of vertigo.