Disorders of the vestibular system often results in symptoms of dizziness, vertigo, nausea and/or disequilibrium.  These symptoms are a common complaint and can affect people of all ages.  The origin of the disorder is often unknown, but it is generally thought to be of a genetic or environmental (virus, toxin) origin.

Symptoms of vestibular disorders are either as a result of an inner ear lesion or as a result of a functional imbalance of the vestibular nuclei, that are located within the brain stem.

Fortunately, Dr Doherty has been trained to assess a wide variety of vestibular disorders and offers an effective treatment to resolve many of the symptoms that accompany this debilitating illness.

In order for you to determine if you have a vestibular disorder, it would be useful for you to understand what the vestibular system does when functioning appropriately and the typical signs and symptoms when it is not functioning appropriately (dysfunction).

Function  To monitor and sense linear acceleration and angular motion.  This will help us remain balanced whilst altering the direction and speed of our movement.

Dysfunction  Poor sensory feed-back will result in dizziness, vertigo, disequilibrium and spatial disorientation, particularly upon spinning, reading whilst traveling in a car, watching a 3D movie on a large screen or with fast ‘panning’ action.

Function  To regulate the tone of our ‘anti-gravity’ muscles (particularly the muscles of the spine).  This will determine the normal curves of the spine and keep us balanced.

Dysfunction  Poor activation of the spinal muscles results in an over-curvature of the thoracic spine and associated forward head posture.  This can cause disequilibrium and multiple sites of pain.

Function  To regulate the vestibular-ocular reflex.  This enables us to move our eyes in exactly the opposite direction and speed to the head movement, in order to keep our eyes fixed and focused on a target.

Dysfunction  Poor vestibular-ocular reflexes can result in blurred vision, particularly when trying to focus whilst moving.

Function  To regulate and dampen back-ground noises and give a perspective of where a sound is coming from.  This will improve hearing and spatial awareness.

Dysfunction  Poor ability to hear in moderately noisy places and to perceive where a sound is coming from.  You may also experience a ‘startle response’ upon a sudden loud noise and tinnitus.

Peripheral Disorder

A peripheral disorder of the vestibular system is an anatomical or physiological dysfunction of the inner ear complex.  This may be caused by: a virus, (Meniere’s disease and labyrinthitis); a tumour (acoustic neuroma), ototoxicity (toxic degeneration of the inner ear hair cells) or a physical trauma (perilymph fistulas, canal dehiscence and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo).

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a very common cause of dizziness that is caused by free-floating crystals (otoconia), that have been dislodged from the utricle or saccule of the inner ear complex.  Head extension or rotation can deflect these crystals into the ampula of the a vestibular canal, where they brush against the motion sensitive hair cells, giving a conflicting sense of movement.  This will result in a short spell of dizziness, disequilibrium and possibly nausea.

These free-floating crystals can be re-positioned away from the vestibular canal and into a ‘safe’ area, quickly eliminating all symptoms.  After a diagnosis has been made, this re-positioning technique can be carried out by the patient in their own home, should their symptoms ever return.

Central Disorder

The vestibular complex, cerebellum and other cortical centres stimulate the vestibular nuclei.  The vestibular nuclei are located in the lower brain stem and are hence located within the central nervous system.  Inappropriate stimulation from any of the above cortical centres, may result in a 'vestibular imbalance', resulting in the typical vestibular symptoms described above, and are described as a 'central' vestibular disorder.

One has to also bear in mind that not all symptoms of dizziness, light-headedness, nausea etc are of vestibular origin.  There are a number of other non-vestibular causes (cardio-vascular, inner ear arthritis, stress), that would need to be eliminated prior to making a diagnosis of a vestibular disorder.

Fortunately, any ‘imbalance’ of the vestibular nuclei can be tested and observed by a skilled therapist in clinical neurology.  Dr Doherty has carried out extensive education and training with the renowned Carrick Institute in Clinical Neurology and can assess, diagnose and treat a variety of vestibular disorders.

 

Phone 0161 482 0786, to make your consultation and examination appointment or to make further inquiries.

The Family Chiropractic Clinic, 15 Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport.  SK8 5AF. 

Chiropractor, serving the people of Cheadle, Stockport, Manchester, Trafford and Tameside.