What Is Meniere’s Disease?
Meniere’s disease is a condition that affects the inner ear, causing intense bouts of vertigo, dizziness, and tinnitus or high-pitched ringing. Particularly common amongst young to middle-aged adults, there is no known cause of Meniere’s disease, making it very difficult to treat. While there is no cure for this condition, there are ways to ease symptoms and improve quality of life.
Signs and Symptoms of Meniere’s Disease
The primary side effect of Meniere’s disease is frequent episodes of vertigo, causing feelings of dizziness, loss of balance, and loss of coordination. Other signs and symptoms of Meniere’s disease include tinnitus (ringing in the ears), a feeling of fullness in the ears, and frequent bouts of nausea.
How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Meniere’s Disease
The cause of Meniere’s disease is believed to be related to dysfunction in the inner ear. Specifically, the disease is thought to be triggered by changes in fluid build-up in the eustachian tubes (small canals connecting the ear to the nasal-sinus cavity). This relationship has led some researchers to link the onset of Meniere’s disease to injury or misalignment in the upper cervical spine.
Because of their role in supporting the base of the skull, the vertebrae which make up the upper cervical spine play a key role in regulating the function of craniofacial arteries and musculature. Unsurprisingly, misalignment in one or more of these vertebrae can have a dramatic effect on craniofacial function, causing local inflammation, soft tissue adhesion, and swelling in the eustachian tubes. Left untreated, inflammation and swelling in the eustachian tubes can quickly lead to an abnormal build-up of fluid in the inner ear, potentially leading to conditions like Meniere’s disease.
How Our Upper Cervical Treatment Works
Our chiropractic specialist, Dr. Gordon Elder, is a trained practitioner of the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique. This technique prioritizes the gentle correction of misalignments in the upper cervical in order to restore natural function to the spinal column and allow the body to re-engage its natural healing mechanisms.
During your initial appointment, Dr. Elder will perform a brief examination of your spine to determine whether you are suffering from Meniere’s disease due to a vertebral misalignment in the upper cervical spine. This whole process only takes between 25 and 30 minutes.
At your next visit, Dr. Elder will use advanced 3-D imaging techniques to pinpoint the exact location of any spinal misalignments. At this point, you’ll also have an opportunity to review your scans and have a chat with Dr. Elder if you have any questions.
Finally, Dr. Elder will target the affected area with a series of precise adjustments, re-seating the misaligned vertebra in its correct position. These adjustments are precise and gentle, so you don’t have to worry about any painful cracking or popping.
Following the initial adjustment, patients will return for regular, gradually spaced-out check-ups to ensure their adjustment has stayed in place for 3 months. Over the course of 3-5 months, most patients average between 10 and 15 appointments with Dr. Elder.
If you’re struggling to live with Meniere’s disease, come and speak with Dr. Elder about healing your body. Dr Elder is based in Lubbock, Texas, but also services Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, El Paso in Texas, and Hobbs in New Mexico.
Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.