Vertigo & Dizziness Treatment

Vertigo is the false sensation that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving, often linked to displaced inner ear crystals (BPPV) or dysfunction in the upper neck.

Understanding Vertigo and Dizziness

Vertigo is a specific kind of dizziness where you or the room around you feels like it is spinning, tilting, or moving when nothing is actually moving. It is different from lightheadedness or feeling faint, and the distinction matters because the causes and treatments are different. True vertigo almost always involves either the vestibular system in the inner ear, the upper cervical spine, or the neural pathways that connect them.

At Advanced Wellness Chiropractic in Bridgeton, MO, Dr. JC evaluates two causes of dizziness that conservative care may help with: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and cervicogenic dizziness. BPPV happens when tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear become dislodged and disrupt the signals your brain uses to track head position. Cervicogenic dizziness develops when joint dysfunction or muscle tension in the upper neck disrupts the input the brain receives about head position and movement.

Most patients arrive in our office after weeks or months of episodes. They describe waking up and feeling the bedroom spin when they sit up, or feeling unsteady every time they turn their head to back the car out of the driveway. Others describe a constant low-grade swimming sensation that has worn them down. The right treatment depends entirely on the cause, which is why a careful examination is the most important first step.

For BPPV, the Epley maneuver and other canalith-repositioning techniques are widely used. For cervicogenic dizziness, care focuses on the upper neck with gentle adjustments and soft tissue work. Both are non-invasive and drug-free, and response varies from person to person.

How Chiropractic Care Helps Vertigo

The first step in our office is determining the actual cause of your dizziness. Dr. JC uses a series of well-validated tests including the Dix-Hallpike maneuver to identify BPPV and provoke the specific semicircular canal involved, plus orthopedic and neurological screens to evaluate the upper cervical spine and rule out red flags. The exam takes 15 to 20 minutes and helps us determine which type of vertigo is most likely.

For BPPV, the Epley maneuver is the primary treatment. This is a specific sequence of head and body positions that moves the displaced inner ear crystals out of the semicircular canal and back into the utricle where they belong. The maneuver is gentle and takes only a few minutes. Some patients need two or three sessions if multiple canals are involved or symptoms are long-standing.

For cervicogenic dizziness, chiropractic adjustments are used to improve motion in the upper cervical joints. These adjustments are gentle and precise, especially in patients with a history of whiplash or neck injury. Soft tissue work on the suboccipital muscles, sternocleidomastoid, and upper trapezius reduces the muscle tension that often accompanies and perpetuates the dizziness.

We also address contributing factors that keep vertigo coming back. Screen-heavy work, poor sleep posture, jaw clenching, and unaddressed headaches all feed cervicogenic dizziness.

Vertigo FAQs