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This page provides articles on all aspects of  healthcare and links to interesting articles and websites that promote a holistic, person centred approach to health and wellness.

The articles will normally be related to recent experiences and draw heavily on  my Osteopathic practice and the practices of my associates.

Vertigo

I have recently treated several people with Vertigo and had remarkable success. Some of the patients had been struggling with the problem for months and had no relief from tablets. A single session completely cleared their symptoms within 24 hours.
I thought it would be useful to post a few words on Vertigo and explain how easy and gentle the cure may be.

Vertigo may have several causes, including motion sickness, labyrinthitis (inflammation of the inner ear), Menniere’s disease, Migraine or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, (BPPV). Of these, BPPV is by far the most common cause of Vertigo, and generally the most easily fixed by a simple gentle manual procedure. It is also easily distinguished from the other causes of Vertigo.

What are the symptoms?
  • Spinning dizziness, with a rotational element.
  • Short duration, lasting only a few seconds to minutes
  • Caused by a change in position.
  • Often associated with Nausea
  • Visual disturbance during an attack
  • Feeling faint or fainting, although this is unusual.
  • Vomiting is also uncommon.

What causes BPPV?

Within the labyrinth of the inner ear lie collections of calcium crystals known as otoliths. In patients with BPPV, the otoliths are dislodged from their usual position within the utricle and they move over time into one of the semicircular canals. When the head is moved, the displaced otoliths causes abnormal fluid displacement which causes the hairs that sense movement to be stimulated inappropriately and a sensation of vertigo is induced.

How can you tell if I have BPPV?

To check that what you have is BPPV and not some other, less common problem I will take a short history and perform 2 or three simple, painless tests. In particular I will look for a positive Dix-Hallpike test. This is where the eyes will flick from side to side when the head is moved to a particular position.

How can you fix it?

If you have BPPV I will take you through a series of simple, gentle manoeuvres that give immediate reduction in symptoms, and my experience is that in over 80% of cases the problem will resolve completely within 24 hours.

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