Understanding Vertigo: The Body-Brain Connection

Almost everyone has experienced about of dizziness at some point in his or her life.  Usually, these episodes are short-lived and never thought about again.  However, people who live with chronic vertigo may experience frequent episodes that last anywhere from a few seconds to days on end.

To understand vertigo, it’s important to understand the way the body is able to maintain balance under normal conditions.  Three systems are responsible for relaying sensory information from the body to the brain about the body’s position:

1. your vision
2. your vestibular system (which includes the inner ear)
3. and your proprioception (sensors in the feet, trunk and spine that respond to touch)

Signals from these three systems are processed in the brainstem, an area of the spine that connects the brain itself to the spinal cord.  The brainstem is protected by the uppermost two vertebrae in the neck – the atlas (C1) and axis (C2).  When there is an interruption in the transmission of these signals, the brain becomes confused about the body’s position in space and the sensation of vertigo happens.

If you suffer from chronic episodes of vertigo or dizziness, it is important to have the alignment of the C1 and C2 vertebra checked by an upper cervical chiropractor.   Dr. Besso is an upper cervical specialist in Stow, Ohio who helps his patients with vertigo get back to living a normal life.  By working to restore normal spinal alignment of the upper cervical area, the pressure on the brainstem is removed so that signals between the body and brain can be received properly.

References:

https://vestibular.org/node/2

About the Author

Dr. Geoff Besso, DC, DCCJP

Besso Clinic of Chiropractic

Dr. Geoff Besso graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Clemson University. Following his bachelor’s degree he enrolled at the prestigious Life University in Atlanta, Georgia. After a four year intensive program, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 2002. He became an upper cervical chiropractor in Stow in 2005. Dr. Besso and his wife, Amy Besso, DC, opened their practice in Stow, Ohio, in 2005 and have been blessed to help thousands of patients with conditions ranging from Fibromyalgia to Migraine Headaches to Meniere’s Disease.