How Chiropractic Treatment for Vertigo and Dizziness Works

That intense, rotational feeling of vertigo is very different from simply feeling lightheaded. It’s a specific signal that your body’s internal balance system is being disrupted. For many people, the source of this disruption is a misalignment in the top two vertebrae of the neck, which can interfere with the vital nerve signals that help your brain understand where your body is in space. A gentle and precise chiropractic treatment for vertigo and dizziness is designed to correct these foundational issues. By restoring proper alignment, we can help calm your nervous system and clear up the communication pathways, allowing your body to regain its natural sense of equilibrium.

Key Takeaways

• Pinpoint the Problem: True vertigo is a distinct spinning sensation, often caused by either inner ear issues (like BPPV) or a misalignment in your upper neck that disrupts your body's balance signals.
• Focus on the Foundation: Chiropractic care offers a lasting solution by correcting the underlying structural problems. Gentle, precise adjustments to the upper neck can restore clear communication between your brain and body, calming your nervous system.
• Take Action When It Affects Your Life: If vertigo is interfering with your daily activities, especially if you also have neck pain or headaches, it's time to seek help. A comprehensive evaluation is the first step to creating a personalized plan for relief.

Is It Vertigo or Dizziness? Here's How to Tell

When the world suddenly feels unsteady, it’s easy to say you’re just “dizzy.” But that word can cover a lot of ground. Is the room spinning, or do you just feel lightheaded? The difference matters because it points to different potential causes. While people often use the terms vertigo and dizziness interchangeably, they describe distinct sensations. Pinpointing your symptoms is the first step toward finding the root of the problem and getting effective relief.

What Vertigo Actually Feels Like

Vertigo isn't just a feeling of being off-balance; it's the distinct and often disorienting sensation that you or your surroundings are spinning. Think back to being a kid on a merry-go-round—that feeling you get right after you step off is a lot like a vertigo episode. It can be intense, sometimes causing nausea or vomiting, and it can last for a few seconds or several hours. This spinning sensation is a specific type of dizziness that often points to an issue with the inner ear or the brain's communication with the body's balance system. It's one of the many conditions we help people find relief from every day.

The Different Types of Dizziness

"Dizziness" is more of an umbrella term for several feelings that can make you feel unsteady. You might feel lightheaded, as if you're about to faint, or woozy and disoriented. Sometimes, it feels more like a sense of imbalance, where you struggle to walk a straight line but the world isn't actively spinning. Unlike the rotational movement of vertigo, these types of dizziness can be caused by a wide range of factors, from low blood pressure to anxiety or issues in your neck. Because the term is so broad, describing exactly what you feel is crucial for getting to the bottom of the issue.

Why Getting the Right Diagnosis Is Key

Because vertigo and other forms of dizziness can stem from so many different sources, a one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t work. Getting an accurate diagnosis is everything. A trained professional can perform a thorough physical and neurological exam to determine if the problem lies in your inner ear, your upper spine, or your nervous system. At Lazar Spinal Care, our comprehensive evaluation is designed to uncover the root cause of your symptoms. We use advanced assessments to see exactly how your body is functioning. This allows us to create a care plan that addresses the specific source of your imbalance, rather than just masking the symptoms.

What's Causing Your World to Spin?

That sudden, disorienting feeling that the room is spinning can be terrifying. It can stop you in your tracks and make simple activities feel impossible. If you’re dealing with vertigo, your first question is probably, "Why is this happening to me?" The answer isn't always straightforward, as vertigo is a symptom, not a condition itself. It’s your body’s alarm bell, signaling that something is off-balance.

The cause can stem from a few different places, from your inner ear to the very top of your neck. Understanding the potential source of your dizziness is the first and most critical step toward finding lasting relief. Let's look at some of the most common reasons your world might feel like it's been turned upside down. Identifying the root cause is what we do best, helping you understand the specific conditions we can help with so you can get back to feeling steady and secure.

The Inner Ear Connection (BPPV)

One of the most frequent culprits behind vertigo is a condition called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or BPPV. It sounds complicated, but the idea is simple. Tiny calcium crystals inside your inner ear, which help you sense gravity and balance, can get dislodged and float into the wrong canal. When you move your head in a certain way—like rolling over in bed or tilting your head back—these crystals move around and send confusing signals to your brain, triggering a short but intense spinning sensation. BPPV can sometimes develop after a head injury, a viral infection like a cold, or simply due to the natural aging process of the inner ear.

How Your Neck Can Affect Your Balance

Your neck, or cervical spine, is the communication highway between your brain and the rest of your body. If the top bones in your neck, the C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) vertebrae, are even slightly out of alignment, they can put pressure on your brainstem and irritate the delicate nerves responsible for balance and spatial awareness. This misalignment can disrupt the signals your brain relies on to keep you upright and stable, leading to what’s known as cervicogenic dizziness. It’s a type of vertigo that originates not from the ear, but directly from a structural issue in your neck. Our specialized QSM3 technique focuses on correcting these foundational misalignments.

The Lingering Impact of Head Injuries

Have you ever been in a car accident or had a sports-related concussion? Sometimes, vertigo doesn't show up immediately after an injury. A whiplash-type motion can damage the delicate structures of the inner ear or, more commonly, shift the vertebrae in your upper neck out of their proper position. This misalignment can linger for months or even years, creating chronic nerve irritation that eventually leads to dizziness, headaches, and balance problems. If you've experienced a past trauma, it could be the underlying cause of the symptoms you're feeling today. We often help patients who are recovering from auto accidents find relief from these persistent issues.

Other Common Vertigo Triggers

While inner ear and neck issues are major causes, other factors can also contribute to vertigo and dizziness. Chronic migraines are often accompanied by vestibular symptoms, which include spinning sensations and imbalance. In other cases, things like high levels of stress and anxiety can trigger episodes by affecting your nervous system. Even issues like poor blood flow to the brain can play a role. Because the cause can be so varied, a thorough evaluation is key. As a new patient, your first visit will involve a deep dive into your health history to uncover the true source of your symptoms.

How Can Chiropractic Care Help Vertigo?

When the world feels like it’s spinning, finding solid ground can seem impossible. While medication might mask the symptoms, it often doesn’t address what’s causing them in the first place. Chiropractic care offers a different approach. Instead of just managing the dizziness, we look for the underlying structural issues that could be throwing your body’s balance system off-kilter. Think of your spine as the central communication highway for your nervous system. If there’s a roadblock or misalignment, especially in the upper neck, it can disrupt the vital messages traveling between your brain and your body—including the ones that control your equilibrium.

Our goal is to find and correct these misalignments through gentle, precise adjustments. By restoring proper motion and alignment to your spine, we can help reduce interference in your nervous system. This allows your body to heal and regulate itself more effectively, which can lead to a significant reduction in vertigo symptoms. It’s a natural, non-invasive way to get to the root of the problem and help you regain your sense of stability and well-being. At Lazar Spinal Care, we focus on uncovering these root causes to provide lasting relief.

Restoring Balance by Aligning Your Spine

Your body’s ability to balance is a complex process managed by your brain, which relies on information from your inner ear, eyes, and a network of nerves in your joints, especially those in your neck. When vertebrae in your spine are misaligned, they can interfere with this flow of information. This disruption can confuse your brain, leading it to believe you’re moving when you’re actually still—creating that disorienting spinning sensation. Chiropractic adjustments help restore proper alignment, ensuring that your brain receives clear and accurate signals from your body. By correcting these structural shifts, we can help your body’s internal GPS recalibrate, allowing you to find your footing again.

Focusing on the Upper Neck for Lasting Relief

The top two bones in your neck, the atlas (C1) and axis (C2), are uniquely important for balance. They protect the brainstem, which acts as a critical relay station for nerve signals controlling everything from your heart rate to your equilibrium. A misalignment in this area can put direct pressure on the brainstem and disrupt the function of the vestibular system, a primary cause of vertigo. As an upper cervical chiropractic clinic, we specialize in this crucial area. Using advanced techniques like Quantum Spinal Mechanics (QSM3), we make incredibly precise and gentle corrections to restore alignment in the upper neck, providing a path to lasting relief from vertigo and dizziness.

Calming Your Nervous System

Vertigo is often a sign that your nervous system is in a state of distress. Misalignments in the spine can irritate surrounding nerves, creating a constant state of background noise that disrupts normal function. This can make you more susceptible to dizzy spells and balance issues. Our approach involves a thorough evaluation, including Insight™ neurological scans, to see exactly how your nervous system is functioning. Gentle chiropractic adjustments work to remove this irritation, effectively calming the entire system. When your nervous system can communicate without interference, it can better coordinate your body’s balance mechanisms, reducing the frequency and intensity of vertigo episodes.

What the Research Says About Chiropractic for Vertigo

You don’t just have to take our word for it—a growing body of research supports the effectiveness of chiropractic care for certain types of vertigo. Studies have shown that manual therapies, including spinal adjustments, can be particularly helpful for cervicogenic dizziness, which is vertigo that originates from issues in the neck. For example, one review found moderate evidence for using spinal manipulation to treat this condition. More specifically, research focused on upper cervical care has shown promising results. A 2019 study found that a significant percentage of patients with cervicogenic vertigo experienced substantial improvement after receiving specialized upper cervical adjustments, reinforcing the importance of addressing the neck to find relief.

Chiropractic Techniques That Bring Relief

When you visit a chiropractor for vertigo, they have several gentle and specific techniques to help get your world back on solid ground. It’s not about forceful movements; it’s about precision and understanding the root cause of your symptoms. Depending on your diagnosis, your chiropractor will create a personalized plan using methods designed to restore balance and calm your nervous system. Here are some of the key techniques that bring relief to people struggling with vertigo and dizziness.

The Epley Maneuver: Repositioning for Stability

If your vertigo is caused by BPPV, it means tiny calcium crystals in your inner ear have become dislodged and are floating where they shouldn't be. The Epley Maneuver is a well-known and highly effective technique to fix this. It involves a series of specific, controlled head and body movements performed by your chiropractor. These movements use gravity to gently guide the crystals out of the sensitive parts of your inner ear and back into a place where they no longer cause dizziness. It’s a non-invasive procedure that can provide immediate relief for many of the conditions we help with at our clinic.

The Semont Maneuver: A Gentle Approach

Similar to the Epley Maneuver, the Semont Maneuver is another repositioning technique used to treat BPPV. This approach also aims to move those pesky inner ear crystals back into place. The process involves moving you fairly quickly from a lying position on one side to a lying position on the other. While it sounds simple, the specific angles and timing are crucial for success. Your chiropractor will determine which maneuver is best suited for you based on their thorough assessment. Both techniques are gentle and designed to resolve your BPPV symptoms without medication or invasive procedures.

Precise Upper Cervical Adjustments

Sometimes, the source of vertigo isn't in the inner ear but in the very top of your neck. Your upper cervical spine, which includes the first two vertebrae (the atlas and axis), protects the brainstem—your body's control center for balance and coordination. A misalignment here can disrupt the signals between your brain and your body’s vestibular system. Precise upper cervical adjustments are incredibly gentle corrections that restore proper alignment. This allows your nervous system to function correctly, often resolving chronic dizziness and vertigo. Our chiropractic techniques focus on this vital area for lasting results.

Our Unique QSM3 Method

At Lazar Spinal Care, we specialize in an advanced upper cervical technique called Quantum Spinal Mechanics (QSM3). This method is unique because it takes a whole-body approach. We understand that a misalignment in your neck doesn't happen in isolation; it affects your entire posture and balance. QSM3 focuses on restoring the body’s three-dimensional alignment by measuring and correcting your posture from head to toe. By addressing the underlying structural issues that cause vertigo, we can provide a more stable and lasting solution, helping your body heal itself and maintain its balance for the long term.

Supporting Your Recovery with Exercises

Your care doesn't stop when you leave our office. To support your adjustments and speed up your recovery, we often recommend specific exercises you can do at home. These aren't strenuous workouts but simple, targeted movements designed to retrain your brain and vestibular system. These exercises can help improve your balance, stabilize your gaze, and reduce your sensitivity to motion. By incorporating these into your routine, you become an active partner in your healing process, reinforcing the progress made during your visits and helping you regain confidence in your body’s stability. When you're ready to start, you can request an appointment to get a personalized plan.

Your First Chiropractic Visit for Vertigo: What to Expect

Walking into a new doctor’s office can feel a little nerve-wracking, especially when you’re already feeling off-balance. I want to walk you through exactly what happens during your first visit with us, so you can feel confident and prepared. Our main goal is to listen to your story and figure out precisely what’s causing your world to spin. We’re not here to rush you through a generic adjustment; we’re here to find the root cause of your vertigo and create a plan that brings you lasting relief.

From the moment you step into our clinic, our focus is on making you feel comfortable and heard. We’ll start with a conversation, move on to some gentle and advanced assessments, and then explain everything we find in a way that makes sense. Let’s break down what your first appointment for vertigo will look like.

A Thorough and Gentle Evaluation

First things first, we need to understand your unique health picture. We’ll sit down and have a detailed conversation about your health history, your symptoms, and how vertigo is impacting your daily life. Then, we’ll conduct a careful physical and neurological exam. This helps us check your balance, coordination, and nerve function. We might use specific tests, like the Dix-Hallpike maneuver, to see if the tiny crystals in your inner ear are out of place, which is a common cause of BPPV. This initial evaluation is comprehensive but always gentle, ensuring we gather all the information we need without causing you any discomfort. You can learn more about what to expect as a new patient on our website.

Seeing the Full Picture with PostureIQ™ and Insight™ Scans

To get to the true source of your vertigo, we need to see what’s happening beneath the surface. That’s why we use advanced diagnostic tools like PostureIQ™ and Insight™ neurological scans. These assessments are non-invasive and give us a precise map of your spinal alignment and nervous system function. PostureIQ™ reveals even the slightest imbalances in your posture that could be putting stress on your neck and brainstem. The Insight™ scans measure how well your nervous system is communicating with the rest of your body. Together, these tools help us pinpoint the exact structural shifts that could be contributing to your vertigo, allowing us to move beyond guesswork and toward a targeted solution.

Your Personalized Care Plan

Once we’ve gathered all the information from your consultation and scans, we’ll put all the pieces together to create a care plan that is 100% tailored to you. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Your plan will directly address the root cause of your vertigo, whether it’s an inner ear issue, a misalignment in your upper neck, or a problem with your nervous system. We’ll walk you through our findings, explain the specific techniques we recommend—like our gentle QSM3 method—and outline the steps we’ll take to help you regain your balance and get back to living your life. Your care plan is a roadmap to recovery, and we’ll be with you every step of the way.

Is Chiropractic Care for Vertigo Safe?

It’s completely normal to wonder about the safety of any new treatment, especially when it involves your neck and spine. I want to assure you that the chiropractic care we provide at Lazar Spinal Care is incredibly safe and gentle. We use precise, low-force adjustments that don’t involve any popping or twisting. Our primary goal is your health and well-being. If our thorough evaluation suggests that your vertigo might be caused by a more serious medical condition, we will immediately refer you to the appropriate specialist. Your safety is always our top priority, and we are committed to providing care that is both effective and responsible.

Is It Time to See a Chiropractor for Your Vertigo?

Deciding when to seek help for vertigo can be confusing. You might wonder if it’s just something you have to live with or if there’s a real solution out there. If the constant spinning or dizziness is starting to control your life, it’s a clear sign to explore your options. Chiropractic care offers a path forward by addressing the structural issues that can cause your world to feel off-balance. Let’s look at a few signs that it might be the right time for you to schedule a visit.

If Vertigo Is Affecting Your Daily Life

Is dizziness making it hard to drive, focus at work, or even just walk across a room without feeling unsteady? When vertigo starts interfering with your daily activities, it’s more than just a minor inconvenience—it’s a problem that deserves attention. You don’t have to accept this as your new normal. Chiropractors are trained to diagnose and treat many underlying causes of dizziness, especially when they are connected to your spine and nervous system. By identifying the source of the issue, we can help you manage a wide range of conditions and get back to living your life with confidence and stability.

If You Also Have Neck Pain or Stiffness

If you’re experiencing vertigo along with neck pain, stiffness, or headaches, the two are very likely connected. Your top two vertebrae, the atlas (C1) and axis (C2), protect the brainstem, which is a critical communication hub between your brain and body. A misalignment in this area can disrupt the signals your brain relies on to maintain balance. Our approach focuses on correcting these specific misalignments in the upper neck. Through gentle and precise adjustments, we can restore proper communication and help your body’s balance system function correctly again, often providing relief from both the dizziness and the neck pain.

If Other Treatments Haven't Helped

Feeling frustrated after trying medications or other therapies without success is completely understandable. Many conventional treatments aim to manage the symptoms of vertigo without ever addressing what’s causing it. If you’ve been told to simply wait it out or that medication is your only option, it might be time for a different approach. At Lazar Spinal Care, we focus on finding and fixing the root cause of your problem. Even if other treatments have failed, we are dedicated to making a real difference in your health. We invite you to schedule a consultation to see if our unique approach is the solution you’ve been searching for.

Red Flags: When to Seek Immediate Medical Care

While most cases of vertigo are not life-threatening, it’s important to know when your symptoms could indicate a more serious medical emergency, like a stroke. Please seek immediate medical care at the nearest emergency room if your vertigo is accompanied by any of the following sudden symptoms:

• A severe, unusual headache
• Double vision or vision loss
• Weakness in your arms or legs
• Trouble speaking or slurring words
• Difficulty walking or loss of coordination
• Numbness or tingling in your face or body

Your safety is the top priority. Once serious conditions have been ruled out, we can then explore whether a structural issue is contributing to your vertigo.

Clearing Up Myths About Chiropractic Care for Vertigo

If you're considering chiropractic care for vertigo, you've probably come across some conflicting information. It's easy for misconceptions to spread, especially when it comes to your health. Let's clear the air and look at what chiropractic care for vertigo is really about, separating the facts from the fiction so you can make a confident choice for your well-being.

Myth: It’s Just About "Cracking" Your Neck

The idea that chiropractic care is just about forceful "cracking" is one of the biggest myths out there. While an adjustment can sometimes create a popping sound (which is just gas being released from a joint), the treatment is much more nuanced. Our focus is on finding and correcting the root cause of your vertigo, whether it’s an issue in your inner ear or a misalignment in your spine. We use precise, gentle techniques to restore proper communication between your brain and body, aiming for lasting relief and helping to prevent future episodes.

Myth: Neck Adjustments Are Dangerous

It’s completely understandable to feel protective of your neck. The good news is that modern, specialized chiropractic care is incredibly safe and precise. Upper cervical chiropractic care specifically addresses vertigo by correcting tiny misalignments in the top two vertebrae of your neck, the atlas (C1) and axis (C2). These misalignments can disrupt your body's balance system. At Lazar Spinal Care, we use advanced diagnostics and gentle methods that don't involve any twisting or popping, ensuring your adjustment is both comfortable and effective.

Myth: It’s an Instant, One-Time Fix

While many people feel relief after their first few adjustments, true healing takes time. Chiropractic care is a process, not a single event. The goal is to correct long-standing issues in your spine and nervous system, which allows your body to heal and stabilize. Research supports this, with one study showing that 77% of patients with neck-related vertigo saw significant improvement, and 42% found complete relief within 12 weeks. Your personalized care plan is designed to create lasting change, not just a temporary patch.

Myth: Chiropractic Care Can Make Vertigo Worse

A thorough chiropractor will never adjust you without first understanding the cause of your vertigo. Your first visit involves a comprehensive evaluation, including specific tests to pinpoint the source of your symptoms. We need to know exactly what we’re working with before we proceed with any care. If our assessment reveals that your vertigo is caused by a condition outside our scope of practice, we will refer you to the appropriate medical specialist. Your safety is always the top priority.

How Well Does Chiropractic Work for Vertigo?

When the world feels like it’s spinning out of control, you just want a solution that works. The good news is that chiropractic care has a strong track record of helping people find their footing again. The effectiveness of the treatment often comes down to identifying the true source of your vertigo, because not all dizziness is created equal. Whether the problem lies within your inner ear or originates from your neck, a chiropractor is trained to pinpoint the cause and create a plan to address it directly.

Instead of just masking the symptoms, this approach focuses on correcting the structural issues that are sending your body’s balance signals haywire. For many people, this means not just relief, but lasting results. Let’s look at how chiropractic care helps with some of the most common causes of vertigo.

Success Stories with BPPV

If your vertigo is caused by Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), you’re in luck. This is one of the most common and treatable forms of vertigo. BPPV happens when tiny calcium crystals in your inner ear get dislodged and move into the wrong canal, sending faulty signals to your brain about your head's position. A chiropractor can perform specific, gentle head movements, like the Epley Maneuver, to guide these crystals back where they belong. It’s a non-invasive technique that can provide immediate relief by correcting the mechanical problem in your ear. Our team is trained in these precise repositioning techniques to help restore your sense of balance.

Relief for Neck-Related Dizziness

Sometimes, the problem isn’t in your ears at all—it’s in your neck. This is called cervicogenic dizziness, and it happens when misalignments in your upper spine disrupt the communication between your neck's position sensors and your brain. If your vertigo gets worse with certain neck movements, this might be the cause. Upper cervical chiropractic care is especially effective for this. By making precise, gentle adjustments to the top vertebrae in your neck, we can restore proper alignment and clear up the nerve interference causing your dizziness. In fact, studies show that a majority of patients with cervicogenic vertigo experience significant improvement with this type of care.

Aiming for Long-Term Solutions, Not Quick Fixes

Medication for vertigo can sometimes feel like a temporary patch, silencing the dizziness for a little while without ever fixing the real issue. The goal of chiropractic care is different. We focus on finding and correcting the root cause of your vertigo for good. Whether it’s displaced inner ear crystals or a spinal misalignment, addressing the underlying problem provides a more stable, long-term solution. This approach not only helps you feel better now but also reduces the likelihood of future episodes. When you become a new patient at our clinic, our first step is always a thorough evaluation to understand exactly what’s going on.

A Holistic Approach to Your Well-Being

Correcting the source of your vertigo does more than just stop the spinning; it supports your body’s overall health. Your upper neck houses the brainstem, a critical communication hub for your entire nervous system. A misalignment here can affect everything from balance to blood pressure. Our specialized QSM3 method focuses on restoring balance to your entire body by making precise corrections to the upper cervical spine. By improving the function of your nervous system, we help your body heal itself and maintain a state of wellness, so you can get back to living your life with confidence and stability.

Related Articles

• Seeing a Chiropractor for Vertigo: A Patient's Guide
• 5 Ways Chiropractic Treatment for Vertigo Works
• Can a Chiropractor Cause Vertigo? What to Know
• Chiropractor for Vertigo - Lazar Spinal Care, P.C.

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon can I expect to feel relief from my vertigo? This is the question everyone asks, and the honest answer is that it truly depends on the person and the root cause of the issue. Some people with inner ear-related vertigo (BPPV) feel a significant improvement right after a single repositioning maneuver. For those with long-standing neck issues, it's more of a process. You might notice positive changes after your first few visits, but lasting correction takes time as your body learns to hold its proper alignment. Our goal is to create stable, long-term results, not just a quick fix.

I'm nervous about neck adjustments. Are they safe? It's completely normal to feel protective of your neck. I want to assure you that the techniques we use are incredibly gentle and precise. We specialize in upper cervical care, which doesn't involve any of the forceful twisting or popping you might associate with chiropractic. Our QSM3 method uses a very light touch to encourage your body back into its correct alignment, making it a safe and comfortable experience. Your safety is our first priority, always.

What if my vertigo is caused by my inner ear and not my neck? That's exactly what our initial comprehensive exam is designed to figure out. We run a series of tests to determine if your vertigo is coming from a structural issue in your neck or from displaced crystals in your inner ear (BPPV). If we find that it's BPPV, we can perform specific repositioning techniques, like the Epley Maneuver, right here in the office. If we determine the cause is something outside our scope, we will refer you to the right medical specialist.

How is the QSM3 method different from what other chiropractors do? While traditional chiropractic often focuses on individual spinal segments, our QSM3 method looks at the bigger picture. We see the body as a whole, integrated system. This technique focuses on restoring your body's three-dimensional balance by making precise corrections to the upper neck. By doing this, we help your entire posture unwind and return to a more stable, centered position, which addresses the foundational cause of the problem for more lasting results.

Is this type of care suitable for seniors or pregnant women? Absolutely. Because our adjustment techniques are so gentle and low-force, they are safe and effective for people in all stages of life, including seniors and expectant mothers. Balance issues can be particularly concerning during pregnancy or for older adults at risk of falling. Our care is tailored to each individual's needs, providing a safe way to improve stability and overall well-being without medication.