Can Chiropractic Care Help with Vertigo?

Do you often feel like the world is spinning around you? We’re not talking about a metaphor for a busy life; we’re referring to the sensation of feeling off balance. 

Vertigo is a symptom, not a medical condition in and of itself, and the list of potential causes is long and varied. However, one of the most common but lesser-known culprits is spinal misalignment, which affects the neck and ears. 

While medication can help some types of vertigo, we have a safer, longer-lasting, holistic treatment that trumps reliance on drugs — chiropractic care.

We understand that seeking chiropractic care for dizziness may not be your first thought, but we’re here to change that. At Dr. Hipp’s Chiropractic in San Francisco, California, we specialize in chiropractic care for numerous health conditions, and not all are obvious musculoskeletal issues, including vertigo.

Dr. Katherine Hipp is a certified Chiropractic BioPhysics® (CBP®) physician who provides next-level care beyond traditional chiropractic services, enabling her to resolve your vertigo without medication and its risks.

Vertigo 101

Vertigo makes you feel like you and/or your surroundings are spinning. It often comes with other symptoms, such as nausea, headaches, sweating, ear ringing (tinnitus), or hearing loss.

The most common causes of vertigo are inner ear disorders like benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere's disease, or vestibular neuritis. Sometimes, it can be due to migraine disease or problems in the neck, known as cervicogenic vertigo.

The ear, neck, and vertigo connection

Your inner ear helps you keep your balance, so any disruption can lead to vertigo. Because misalignments in your neck can affect nerve pathways in your ear, neck problems can cause vertigo symptoms.

Understanding the relationship between your neck, ears, and vertigo is key to understanding how chiropractic care, particularly CBP, can help.

Your inner ear, specifically the vestibular system, is crucial to maintaining our sense of balance. It sends signals to your brain about your head and body movements relative to gravity. When there’s an issue with your inner ear, such as inflammation or infection, these signals get disrupted, which can result in vertigo.

Your neck houses your cervical spine, an extension of your central nervous system. The nerves in your neck connect to various body parts, including your inner ear. Misalignments in your neck, known as cervical vertigo or cervicogenic dizziness, can affect these nerve pathways and contribute to feelings of dizziness or imbalance.

That’s where CBP comes into play. Chiropractic BioPhysics aims to correct these misalignments, restore normal nerve function, and alleviate vertigo symptoms caused by ear or neck issues.

Traditional chiropractic care vs. chiropractic biophysical care

Chiropractic care is a hands-on health care discipline that focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, specifically the spine. While traditional chiropractic care and CBP share this common goal, they approach it differently, each with its unique focus and methodology.

Traditional chiropractic care

Traditional chiropractic care primarily aims to provide immediate pain relief. It relies heavily on standard adjustments to restore mobility to joints restricted by tissue injury caused by a traumatic event, such as falling, or repetitive stress, such as sitting without proper back support. 

The main goal is to reduce pain and improve physical function. Traditional chiropractic care is often the first thing that comes to mind when people think of chiropractic treatment.

Chiropractic biophysics (CBP)

CBP, on the other hand, goes a step further than immediate pain relief. CBP practitioners like Dr. Hipp focus on postural correction to get to the root cause of recurring pain and health issues. 

This approach is based on the idea that your posture affects your spine, and misalignments can lead to various health problems.

As a CBP practitioner, Dr. Hipp performs a thorough spine exam, including orthopedic tests and X-rays, to determine structural issues. She uses these findings to create a personalized treatment plan with specific adjustments, exercises, and stretches to correct your postural imbalances.

In addition to traditional chiropractic adjustments, CBP utilizes advanced techniques, such as mirror-image adjustments and traction, to help correct spinal alignment over time. 

How CBP chiropractic care alleviates vertigo

CBP’s unique approach can be particularly beneficial if you have vertigo. Here’s what it involves.

Addressing the root cause

CBP addresses the root cause of vertigo, not just the symptoms. If your vertigo is caused by misalignments in the spine or neck (cervicogenic vertigo), CBP can correct these misalignments and alleviate symptoms.

Improving nerve function

CBP improves nerve function by correcting your spinal alignment, leading to better communication between your brain and body. This can help reduce vertigo symptoms caused by disrupted nerve signals.

Personalized treatment plans

Your spine is unique, so Dr. Hipp creates a personalized treatment plan based on thorough examinations, including X-rays and orthopedic tests.

Living with vertigo can be challenging, but we can help. Book an appointment online or call Dr. Hipp’s Chiropractic and stop the world from spinning.