Vertigo - feel like your world is spinning? See your osteopath
- Graham Miller
- Jul 20, 2015
- 2 min read
Do you suffer from Vertigo, the sensation of spinning? According to statistics, Vertigo is the most common type of dizziness, although personally, I think many Saturday night revellers would question where these statistics came from! The first piece of good news is that there is a good chance osteopathy can help you.
Vertigo caused by problems with the vestibular (balance) system of the inner ear, is called ‘peripheral vertigo’. There are many causes of peripheral vertigo including Ménière's disease, labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis, vestibular migraines and inflammation resulting from a common cold, bacterial infection, or physical trauma.
The second bit of good news is that the most common cause of peripheral vertigo, is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and this is the one that osteopathy is most likely to be able to help you with.
BPPV occurs when loose calcium carbonate deposits enter the inner ear creating a sensation of motion. If you are suffering from BPPV you will likely experience repeated episodes of vertigo that typically last for a minute or so and often occur with a change in position such as turning over in bed. In addition to dizziness, you may also experience nausea, vomiting, hearing loss, tinnitus, and pain in the ear.
I use a simple positioning technique called the Dix-Hallpike test to differentiate BPPV from other forms of vertigo. If this test is positive, I will then treat your BPPV using another repositioning technique called the Epley manoeuvre. The last piece of good news is that the Epley manoeuvre has a reported success rate of 80–95% with a single treatment!
There are other causes of vertigo which are not so easy to treat. These include central vertigo which arises from injury to the balance centres of the central nervous system. If you are suffering from central vertigo, in addition to dizziness you may also experience other neurologic deficits such as slurred speech or double vision. Central vertigo generally improves more slowly than peripheral vertigo or may not improve at all.
Symptoms of peripheral vertigo can last for weeks but a single treatment using the Epley manoeuvre may rid you of your symptoms in just a few minutes. If you would like to discuss your symptoms or options for treatment, then please give me a call on 0115 9335797.
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