Dizziness Is Expensive
According to Dr. Ali S. Saber Tehrani and colleagues, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, emergency department costs for patients presenting with dizziness or vertigo are considerable, accounting for about $4 billion per year (about 4 percent of total emergency department costs), the study was published in the July issue of Academic Emergency Medicine.
The researchers found there were 3.9 million U.S. emergency department visits for dizziness or vertigo in 2011. A majority of the money is spent on diagnostic testing. There are many different causes of vertigo or dizziness. Medical doctors will use over 50 different medications in an attempt to control dizziness or vertigo.
But many people are unaware of a common cause of dizziness or vertigo.
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Whiplash Injuries and Vertigo
Following a whiplash injury, such as those common during a motor vehicle accident, as much as 25 to 50% of people will experience dizziness or vertigo. Many times this dizziness will subside after a few days, but other times it will linger for weeks, months or even years.
Whiplash clinically is similar to post concussion syndrome, but with the addition of neck complaints. Long term studies show that aches and pains may persist in 20 to 45% of patients with significant whiplash. Degenerative problems develop after injury in about 40% of patients. They are more common in persons with more severe collisions.
Upper Cervical, Whiplash, and Vertigo
When vertigo symptoms persist, it is important to thoroughly evaluate the neck. Following any head or neck trauma there will be a tearing loose of the connective tissue that holds the spine in place. This will lead to a weakness that will allow the spine to breakdown and lock into a stressed position. This misalignment pattern frequently develops as the heavy head is slightly misaligned from the upper neck bones.
As little as three quarters of a degree is enough to alter the position of the head and force the brain to adapt the spinal posture in order to keep the eyes and ears level with the horizon. This is known as the righting reflex within the brain.
Once this upper neck misalignment has occurred and posture has changed, blood and cerebrospinal fluid flow from the brain to the body and from the body to the brain begins to be altered as well.
This misalignment in the upper neck and subsequent brainstem dysfunction has been shown to be an underlying cause of vertigo and dizziness. Once this upper neck misalignment is corrected, precisely, gently and specifically symptoms of vertigo, dizziness and disequilibrium frequently will resolve.
These upper neck misalignments can only be corrected by someone trained in specialized upper cervical chiropractic procedures.
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Dr. Craig Lapenski and Dr. Martha Schenk of Advanced Spinal Care, in Graham, Washington are your Graham NUCCA Specialists trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). Their upper cervical clinic also serves Puyallup, Tacoma, Olympia, and Sumner. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, fibromyalgia, vertigo, neck and back pain, and more. More information can be found on our website at https://www.nuccawashington.com/