To make it easy, we’re going to use the term ‘dizzy’ here to mean any of the following: vertigo, carsick, seasick, unsteady at any time, etc.
I have worked with many patients who tell me they feel dizzy, although they may present with many different symptoms and causes. They may feel unsettled when getting out of bed, when they turn their head too fast in one direction or another or who get ‘carsick or seasick’. They may experience falls or stumble.
I have had dizziness myself, and I’ve been seasick too. Driving down the mountains east of Phoenix, through the switchbacks and grades, wow! I had to stop a couple of times just to settle my vision and stomach. And in a small boat and high seas with all the up and down motion, and not being able to focus on the horizon – well, let’s just say it was an interesting fishing trip.
Dizziness can present in different ways. You can feel as though you are spinning in the room (usually BPPV – see below), or the room can feel like it is spinning around you (central vertigo). It can be mild, with just a little ‘swimmy-ness’ feeling, or it can present with severe unsteadiness accompanied by falling, losing control of your car, or appearing to be intoxicated.
And it has different causes. It can come from a mineral imbalance, nerve damage from an accident (leading to swelling of the brain / inflammation) or a condition of the inner ear. It can be a sign of impaired circulation or heat exhaustion / heatstroke. It can be the result of cervical spine restrictions (cervicogenic vertigo). Anemia can cause dizziness, as can blood sugar levels out of control (either high or low), or sensitivity to foods (dairy or gluten intolerance).
Lack of sufficient minerals can lead to incorrect nerve and muscle function and lead to dizzyness.
The back part of your brain (the cerebellum) contains the sense of ‘proprioception’. That means ‘the sense your body has of where it is in space’. It’s how you can close your eyes, yet still touch your finger to your nose. It is the controller of your sense of balance, so any impact to your head and resulting damage to this part can cause you to feel dizzy. Likewise, your brains center of vision is in the lower back area. Vision plays a huge roll in how we perceive balance and our ‘levelness’ in the world, so if our vision is impaired, we can become dizzy too.
The inner ear is also closely tied to balance. It has structures that provide feedback to the cerebellum of the brain for our sense of balance. If we have bad input – we can have bad output. There are crystals that exist in our inner ears. Sometimes they become loose and free to travel around the semicircular canals (one of those parts of the inner ear). Those canals exist in the X, Y and Z directions and are fluid filled. When those crystals move into those canal areas, they can stimulate receptors that tell your brain you are moving, even when you’re not – causing dizziness. If you move quickly, it can cause a heightened dizziness effect.
When those crystals stimulate the movement receptors, a condition called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) can result. There are positional treatments that bring the crystals out of the semicircular canals and stop the dizzy spells. It may take more than one time to correct it, but they do work.
As you can see, there are many causes for dizziness. Some may be easier to fix than others, but when your world starts spinning or you start spinning in the world, know there are treatments that can help. We can help you find the answers, even when it may not involve chiropractic treatment.
Respectfully, Dr Armour
Armour Chiropractic