What is it?
Dizziness can be described as having diminished spatial awareness. Vertigo is a type of dizziness in which you may feel like you’re spinning or in a constant state of motion. Peripheral vertigo is brought on by issues in the inner ear or vestibular nerve and usually has a short duration. Central vertigo is connected to the central nervous system (CNS) (brain stem) and tends to come in potentially intense, long-lasting episodes.
What causes it?
An individual's sense of balance is controlled by input from parts of the sensory system, including the inner ear, sensory nerves, and the eyes. Any disturbances to this system could bring on a sensation of dizziness or vertigo.
Common causes of dizziness include:
Inner ear infection
Nutrient deficiency
Dehydration
Concussion
Brain diseases
Autonomic nervous system conditions
Stress/anxiety
Motion sickness
Low blood sugar
Common causes of peripheral vertigo include:
Positional vertigo
Specific drugs (aminoglycoside antibiotics, cisplatin, diuretics, salicylates)
Head injury
Vestibular nerve inflammation
Inner ear irritation
Meniere disease
Pressure on vestibular nerve
Common causes of central vertigo include:
Blood vessel diseases
Specific drugs (anticonvulsants, aspirin, alcohol)
Multiple sclerosis
Stoke
Tumors
Migraine
Functional Multisensory Intergration Dysfunction
What are the signs and symptoms?
Symptoms of general dizziness include:
False sense of motion or spinning (vertigo)
Lightheadedness/feeling faint
Loss of balance
Feeling of floating
Vertigo IS a symptom, but it can also lead to or cause other symptoms including:
Balance problems
Lightheadedness
Sense of motion sickness
Nausea/vomiting
Tinnitus
Sensation of fullness in the ear
Headaches
Nystagmus (eyes move uncontrollably)
Central vertigo could also cause symptoms such as:
Difficulty swallowing
Double vision
Facial paralysis
Slurred speech
Weakness in arms or legs
Some symptoms could become worse upon walking, standing, or moving your head in a certain direction.
How can we help?
Dizziness and vertigo involve regions of the brain called the vestibular system, the brainstem and the cerebellum. We have had tremendous success in resolving most cases we see by re-calibrating the visual system with the somatosensory and vestibular systems together. There are many steps to this profound method but what is most important is to leverage the gravity receptors of the vestibular system called otoliths. Performing otolith activities while inhibiting vestibular ocular reflexes is the hallmark of the Gravity Reset Method. The first step is to perform a VOR cancelation during a semicircular canal maneuver. Step two is a linear translation type of motion with VOR cancellation. Step three is a head/eye pursuit in a purposeful direction and step four is maintaining gaze fixation on a fixed central dot while an optokinetic background is running in a predetermined direction. Numerous additional therapeutic applications may need to be added to a personalized protocol. To view our lecture on The Gravity Reset Method click here.
References
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, December 3). Dizziness. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dizziness/symptoms-causes/syc-20371787
Pennmedicine.org. (n.d.). https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/vertigo
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.-b). Vertigo: Regaining your balance. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21769-vertigo