Many people suffer from dizziness, or what is often diagnosed as vertigo.  How do dizziness and the ear relate?  Our ears have two jobs: hearing and balance.  The focus of this article is balance.

Deep inside the ear is the “vestibular apparatus,” the organ of equilibrium that assists in balance.  Here, three semicircular canals are filled with fluid and the two sac-like structures located at the base are called the utricle and saccule. The fluid in the canals flow past little hair-like structures that are connected to nerves that relay information to the brain, telling it where we are in space (horizontal—laying down, vertical—standing) and if we’re moving forwards (accelerating) or moving up/down (like in an elevator).

There are little tiny “stones” in these two sacs that move the little hair-like structures.  These "stones" can dislodge into the canal and alter the flow of fluid (like a rock sticking out of a flowing river creating eddy currents), altering the direction the little hairs bend.  This results in vertigo or dizziness as the brain is receiving conflicting information from the hairs bending in multiple directions. This is called “BPPV” (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) which is brief episodes of vertigo immediately following a change in head position such as rolling over in bed, getting up from sitting or lying, etc. This is the most common cause of vertigo.

There are several different exercises that can move these little stones back into position (Brandt-Daroff and Epley’s maneuver), both of which work well often within a day or two. This is a good place to start, and if the balance/dizziness (vertigo) doesn’t improve, then you should consider other possibilities, which could include such conditions as inner ear inflammation or acute vestibular neuritis, Meniere’s disease, vestibular migraine, acoustic neuroma, blood pressure issues, and/or medication side effects. Your chiropractic doctor can teach you how to do the BPPV exercises and also perform cervical adjustments on you, which can help reduce your vertigo significantly.

Are you suffering from dizziness due to ear problems?  Call McKim Chiropractic today to schedule a consultation.  You can ask how much does a chiropractic adjustment cost.  Our skilled and licensed staff is committed to helping the residents of Nampa, ID achieve a balanced life!