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Vertigo and Ménière’s disease affects 4 percent of us population collectively. The unfortunate part is that there is very little the main stream health system can do to treat them. What I have learned over the past 20 years practicing the blair upper cervical technique is these two conditions respond wonderfully to atlas and axis corrections.
In our office we are not treating symptoms but rather are correcting an underlying structural problem in the neck that allows the body to heal through the underlying CAUSE of most vertigo and Ménière’s disease. Most people who suffer from chronic health conditions are sick and tired of the symptom-based approach to health care. I have found that most chronic pain and vertigo sufferers are looking for a way to remove the cause of their condition. In order to do this, there is a necessary paradigm shift that must occur in the mind of the health seeker! In this article, we will discuss how upper cervical spine Injury can be at the root of vertigo and Ménière’s disease and then will discuss what you can do to heal from these conditions and live the life you were designed to live.
Why is the upper neck one of the most common causes of Ménière’s disease and vertigo??
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The headrests on the top bone in the neck are called the atlas (c-1). The head weighs 10-12 pounds, equivalent to an average bowling ball, and the atlas weighs only two ounces. This engineering fact makes the upper cervical spine susceptible to a spinal misalignment resulting from trauma.
The uppermost part of the neck houses the spinal cord, more specifically the brainstem. Inside of the brainstem is the vestibular nucleus. This nuclei coordinates sensory input and is vital to proper balance. Many people who suffer from vertigo and Ménière’s disease notice that when moving the head in certain positions it kicks off balance issues. This is a tail told to sign that the balance issues are related to the abnormal biomechanics of the neck. Abnormal neck biomechanics result from prior spinal trauma.
Trauma, vertigo, and your nervous system
Trauma to the cervical spine can cause the joints between the head and neck to become misaligned. Trauma to the neck can cause the joints to dislodge, tearing the ligaments and supporting soft tissue, and can lead to long teen nervous system irritation. BECAUSE the vestibular nucleus(coordinates balance) is located inside of the atlas (c-1) and axis (c2) trauma that affects their normal motion and relationship can kick of a cascade of postural and neurological deficits.
Trauma to the neck leads commonly to straight neck syndrome. This occurs in response to nervous system irritation, where the neck muscles tighten and pull the normal curve of the neck straight. When this occurs it puts tensile stress on the spinal cord and brainstem and makes the nervous system's ability to function normally impossible. It is well known that changes to the normal posture and structure of the neck can affect the balance system of the body. Unfortunately, most chronic vertigo and Meniere's disease suffers are taking medications that treat imbalance but do not address the UNDERLYING CAUSE of why these conditions exist in the first place.
I can tell you first hand after seeing over 12,000 patients in southern California over the past 20 years, vertigo being the most common condition seen, that the large majority of the patients who suffer results from upper cervical spinal misalignment.
What exactly does a Blair upper cervical chiropractor do?
In our office we are trained to do one thing; locate, analyze, and correct spinal misalignments in the upper neck region.
We do this by first running a battery of neurological tests that indicate if the patient has a spinal misalignment and if so where it is. Once it has been confirmed that the upper neck is misaligned we use 3-d imaging to view the size, location, and direction of spinal misalignment.
Each patient has a unique misalignment pattern and it is vital to know exactly what direction and to what degree the vertebrae has misaligned from normal. Once this information is gleaned a precise spinal correction is made.
There is no twisting, popping, or pulling during the correction. And now for the most important and most difficult part to get through to the patient. The adjustment heals nothing, it only repositions the misaligned vertebrae. Time and the vertebrae staying in their normal range of motion are what allows the body to function better and heal.
The goal of upper cervical care is to HOLD the correction. Holding means that the vertebrae are staying in their normal range of motion and the patient does not need an adjustment. Over time the patient is monitored to see whether they need a correction or not. As the patient stabilizes the frequency of care is reduced. The end goal is stability and wellness.
If you or a loved one is in the Sarasota, Tampa Bay, Bradenton area our office is happy to help and we do so by offering a free consultation to find out if our office can help you! We always close with one of our favorite quotes from the de slipper of chiropractic, “ nature needs no help just no interference!
Be well, Dr. Hall.
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