how to naturally relieve vertigo without drugs · 2018-08-01 · is your vertigo a symptom of a...
TRANSCRIPT
HOW TO NATURALLY RELIEVE VERTIGO WITHOUT DRUGS
DR. LAUREL GRIFFIN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 2
THE MEDICAL APPROACH TO VERTIGO AND SIMILAR CONDITIONS 4 THE HEAD AND NECK 6 The Head and Spine 6 The Upper Cervical Spine 6
The3Highways:Nerveflow,Bloodflow,CSFflow7 MéNIèRE’S DISEASE 8 MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS 11 MultipleSclerosisDrugs 11
POSTCONCUSSION SYNDROME 14 DoConcussionsCauseChronicHeadachesandVertigo14
ConcussionResearch 15
WHIPLASH ASSOCIATED DISORDERS 16 OLD WHIPLASH INJURIES LINKED TO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CHRONIC CONDITIONS 16 WhiplashFacts17
HowCanUpperCervicalHelpAnAccidentSufferer?17
HEAD AND NECK INJURIES 18 GETTING HELP FROM A DIFFERENT KIND OF SPECIALIST 22 ButI’veSeenAChiropractorAndItDidn’tHelp23
CONCLUSION 25
UPPER CERVICAL RESEARCH 26
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INTRODUCTION
Drug-Free Relief of Vertigo or Dizziness Symptoms Is Possible! Thankyoufordownloadingthise-bookandIhopethatyouwillfindpracticalandactionableinformationtohelpyoufindhopeandhealing.MynameisDr.LaurelGriffin,andIhavebeenhelpingpeoplewithvertigo,dizziness,disequilibrium,Ménière’sdisease,andrelatedconditionsfindnaturalanddrug-freereliefformanyyears.
Mostpeoplecannotappreciatethedevastatingimpactofvertigoandsimilarsymptoms.Vertigodisruptseveryaspectoflifesincethepersonlosestheabilitytodoanythingnormally,especiallywhenmovementisinvolved.Itcantotallyincapacitatetheindividual,oftenconfiningthemtobed. Manypeoplewhohavesomeformofillnessorchronicpainthathasplaguedthemforyearshavehadnumerousdoctors’visitsandpromises,oftenwithoutlong-termresults.Unfortunatelythereisnomagicbulletorpillthatwillsimplyhealyou!Therealizationofthishasledmanypeopletoourdoor.
Theprocessofgettingwellrequiresadoctorthatiswillingtogettothecauseoftheillnessand/orpainandnotjustmasktheproblemwithmeds;adoctorthatunderstandshowtoreverseyearsofdegeneration;andlastly,adoctorthatcancreateasuccessplanincorporatingALLofthefundamentalfacetsofhealthcare,notjustone.TRUEhealinghasoccurredwhenyougetyourbodybacktotheplaceitoncewas(ormaybeevenbetter)beforeyouacquiredthetroublesyouhavetoday!Yes,thatispossiblebutittakeshardworkandconsistency.
Thefundamentalsofuppercervicalcarere–empowerthenervoussystemsothatyoucanhealproperly.Itistrulya“miracle”systemwhendonetoitsfullestpotentialbutitisnotenoughtocreatefullhealth.Fullhealthrequirestheadoptionofaproactivehealthcaremodel;doingwhatittakestogethealthyandstayhealthy,notjusttreatingsymptoms.Thisincludesanervoussystemfreeofinterference,goodnutrition,regularexerciseandplentyofrest.Thisrecipewillremovetheobstacleof“nohope”.ItisasuccesssystemthathealstheONLYeffectiveway...fromthe“insideout”. AccordingtoDr.AliS.SaberTehraniandcolleagues,fromJohnsHopkinsUniversity
inBaltimore,emergencydepartmentcostsforpatientspresentingwithdizzinessorvertigoareconsiderable,accountingforabout$4billionperyear(about4percentoftotalemergencydepartmentcosts),thestudywaspublishedintheAcademic Emergency Medicine Journal.
Theresearchersfoundtherewere3.9millionU.S.emergencydepartmentvisitsfordizzinessorvertigoin2011.Amajorityofthemoneyisspentondiagnostictesting.Therearemanydifferentcausesofvertigoordizziness.Medicaldoctorswilluseover50 different medicationsinanattempttocontroldizzinessorvertigo.
Vertigo,Dizziness,Disequilibriumandmanyotherconditionscanbedirectlyrelatedtooldheadandneckinjuries.Ifneverproperlyaddressed,thesetypesofinjurieswillresultinunderlyingdamagetotheupperneck.Thisdamagecanthenleadtodysfunctionintheears,whichisthebalancingsystemofthebody.
The area that is first impacted by these problems is the brain stem area,whichisbasicallyapartofthebrainthatextendsdownintothespineandconnectstothespinalcord.The brain stem area is a key to the balance of our bodies.
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Thise-bookisforeducationalpurposesonly.Beforebeginninganewdietorexerciseroutinepleaseconsultaphysician.Thisbookmaynotbereproducedinanypartwithouttheexpresswrittenpermissionoftheauthor.
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Although,oftenusedinterchangeably,dizzinessandvertigoaretwodifferentconditions.Dizzinessreferstoafeelingoflightheadedness,weakness,orunsteadiness.Thetermvertigoreferstoafalsesensethateitheryourbodyortheenvironmentaroundyouismoving.Itmayfeelasifyourbodyortheworldaroundyouisspinning,asifonamerry-go-round.Vertigomayalsobeaccompaniedbynauseaorvomiting,ringingintheearsorsweating.Somepeoplemayevenexperiencevisualdisturbances,difficultywalkingortalking,orafeelingofreducedconsciousness.Eachepisodecanlastfromseveralminutestoseveralhoursandcanbeconstantorintermittent.
Benignparoxysmalpositionalvertigo(BPPV)isthemostcommonformofvertigo.Thisconditionischaracterizedbybriefepisodesofintensedizzinessassociatedwithachangeinthepositionofyourhead.Itmayoccurwhenyoumoveyourheadinacertaindirection,liedownfromanuprightposition,turnoverinbedorsitupinthemorning.Movingyourheadtolookupmayalsobringaboutanepisode.BPPVusuallyresultsfromaproblemwiththenervesandthestructuresinyourinnerearthatsensemovementandchangesinthepositionofyourhead.
InthecaseofBPPV,yourmedicaldoctormaytreatyouwithaseriesofmovementsknownasthecanalithrepositioningprocedure.Youmustavoidlyingflatfor24to48hoursandelevateyourheadonafewpillowswhenyousleep.Ifthecanalithrepositioningprocedureisn’teffective,yourdoctormaythenrecommendasurgicalprocedureinwhichaboneplugisusedtoblocktheportionofyourinnerearthatiscausingthedizzinessofvertigo.Oftentimes,thereisnomedicaldiagnosisastothecauseofvertigo,andwhenmedicationsareineffective,manypatientsaretoldthattheyhavetolivewithit.
Anothercommonmedicalsolutiontovertigoistheprescriptionofdrugs.Thereareover50differentdrugsthatarecommonlyprescribedforvertigoanddizzinessrelatedconditions.Becausemostmedicaldoctorsareunclearofwhatiscausingyourvertigotheywillgiveyoumedicationstoexperimentandseewhatmightworktohelprelieveyoursymptoms.Howevernoneofthedrugslistedbelowareaddressingwhateveriscausingthevertigoandatbestareprovidingtemporarysymptomaticreliefwhilegivingyouavarietyofsideeffects.
THEMEDICALAPPROACHTO VERTIGOANDSIMILARCONDITIONS
Lesscommonly,vertigomaybecausedbyconditionsthatmakechangestocertainpartsofthebrain-forexample,astroke,migraine,multiplesclerosis,acousticneuroma(growthinthebrain),diplopia(doublevision),anddrinkingtoomuchalcohol.
Dependingonwhatyourmedicaldoctorbelievesiscausingyourvertigosymptomsyoumayhavebeenprescribedanumberofmedicinesincluding:prochlorperazineorantihistaminessuchascinnarizine,cyclizine,orpromethazine.Thesemedicinesarethesameonesthatareusedtohelptreatnauseaandmotionsickness.Theyworkbyblockingcertainchemicalsinthebrain.Prochlorperazineblocksachemicalcalleddopamine;thishelpswithseveresicknessandantihistaminesblockhistaminewhichhelpswith
mildsicknessandvomitingaswellasvertigo.BetahistineisanantihistaminethatmaybeprescribedforpatientswithMénière’sdisease,topreventattacksfromoccurring.Itisthoughtthatthismedicineimprovesthebloodflowaroundtheear.
Thesemedicinescomeinvariousbrandnamesandareavailableastablets,capsules,liquids,andinjectionsandsomeareavailableassublingualtablets(tabletsthatdissolvebetweentheuppergumandlip).Therearenogoodstudiesthattellushowwellthesemedicineswork.However,theyhavebeenprescribedtotreatvertigoformanyyears.Commonside-effectsofthesemedicationsincludedrowsiness,constipation,headaches,tiredness,insomnia(troublewithsleeping),andindigestion.Prochlorperazinecancausemuscletwitchingoftheshoulders,faceandneck.
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THEHEADANDNECK
Inordertounderstandvertigo,disequilibriumanddizziness,onehastounderstandwheretheylive:theheadandneck.
Theheadandspinearecomposedof55differentbones,whichhouseandprotectthebrainandspinalcord.
Thereare22bonesinthefaceandskull,and33bonyringsinthespinecalledvertebrae.Thereisalargeholeatthebaseoftheskull(foremenmagnum)thatalignswiththeringsoftheuppernecktocreateanarmoredtunnelaroundthelowerbrain(brainstem)andspinalcord.
ThejunctionbetweentheheadandspineiscalledtheUpperCervicalSpine(alsoknownastheCraniocervicalJunction,ortheOccipitoatlantoaxialJointComplex).
Thejunctionbetweentheheadandspineisacomplexsystemmadeupofthebaseoftheheadandthefirsttwovertebraeoftheneck,orcervicalspine.
ThefirstvertebraiscalledtheAtlasBone.Thisisaring-likeboneweighinganaverageof2oz.ItisnamedafterthemythicgodAtlas,whohelduptheworldonhisshoulders.Likewise,theAtlasboneholdstheweightofthehead,andactsasagate-keeperforallofthestructuresandfluidswhichtravelinandout.
ThesecondvertebraiscalledtheAxisBone,andisanotherkeyvertebra.Theaxisallowsextraordinarymovementoftheheadandneck,whileanchoringmanyimportantmusclesandligamentssupportingthehead.
The Head and Spine
The Upper Cervical Spine
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Theuppercervicalspineisunique,inthatitisthemostmoveablepartofthespine,themostneurologicallysensitivepartofthespine,andyetthemostvulnerabletoinjury.Smallinjuriestothisareacanaffectthesensitivestructurestravelingtoandfromthebrain.
Therearethreemaintypesofcommunicationbetweentheheadandthespine.Thesehighwaysareinterconnected,anddisruptionstoonemayaffecttheothers. Nerveflow:nervesconductelectricalmessagestoandfromthebrainandspinalcord.Nervesareorganizedmuchlikeatree.Themajorityofnerveflowtravelsthroughthe“trunk”orspinalcord.Fromthere,nerves“branch”outtotherestofthetissuesintheheadandneck.
BloodFlow:therearetwomajorroadsintothehead,andonemajorroadout.TheCarotidArteriescarrybloodintothefrontofthebrain,andtheVertebralArteriescarrybloodintothebackofthebrain.TheJugularVeinsarethemainvesselsthatcarrybloodoutofthebrain,backtothebody.
CSFFlow:Cerebrospinalfluidcirculateswithinandaroundthebrainandspinalcord,protectingitfrominjuryandcirculatingimportantchemicals.ProperCSFflowisnecessaryforproperbrainfunction.Nowthatyouunderstandsomeofthebasicanatomyandphysiologyoftheheadandneckmanyoftheconceptsthatwewillcoverintherestofthee-bookwillmakemoresense.
Inthenextsectionwearegoingtotakealookatavarietyofconditionsthatyoumayhavebeendiagnosedwithwherevertigoisacommonsymptominvolvedinthecondition.
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The 3 Highways: Nerve flow, Blood flow, CSF flow
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IsyourvertigoasymptomofaconditioncalledMénière’sdisease?
Meniere’sDiseaseisdefinedbywww.mayoclinic.comasadisorderoftheinnerearthatcausesspontaneousepisodesofvertigoalongwithfluctuatinghearingloss,ringingintheear(tinnitus),andsometimesafeelingoffullnessorpressureinyourear.
VertigoisthemostdistressingsymptomofMeniere’sdisease.Vertigoisasensationofrotationorspinning.Thevertigocanlastfromtenminutesto24hours.Itmayalsobeassociatedwithnauseaand/orvomiting.Afterthevertigohasgoneaway,mostpatientshaveimbalanceandfatigueforoneortwodaysuntilreturningtonormal.
HearinglossisalsoanassociatedsymptomofMeniere’sdisease.Hearinglossusuallyfluctuates.Inmostcaseshearinglossisonlyinoneear,butinrareinstances,hearinglosscanbeinbothears.Thehearinglossistypicallyinthelowtones.Ifleftuntreated,
hearingcandropuntilthereispermanentlossinthatear.Pressureand/orfullnessinthediseasedearareanothercomplaint.Thiscanoccurbeforeorduringanattack.Tinnitus,orringingintheear,canalsooccur.Thisisoftenaresultofthehearingloss.
The Merck Manual states that the cause ofMeniere’sdiseaseisunknown;theconditionispoorlyunderstood,andthemedicaltreatmentisineffective.
AtheoryproposedintheUpperCervicalChiropracticcommunityisthatthemostcommoncauseofMeniere’sdiseaseisastructuralproblem,i.e.,anatlas(topboneintheneck)misalignmentthatisirritatingtheoriginofanervethatcontrolsbothequilibriumandhearingintheear(CranialNerveVIII).MisalignmentbetweentheatlasandOcciputcancauseswellingintheimmediatearea,puttingpressureonthenucleusofnerveand/ortheauditory(Eustachian)tube.
RecentlyDr.MichaelBurconinvestigatedtheeffectsofuppercervicalspecificchiropracticmanagementofonehundredandthirty-ninepatientsmedicallydiagnosedwithMeniere’sdisease.
After upper cervical specific chiropractic care, one hundred and thirty-six out of
MéNIèRE’SDISEASE
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the one hundred and thirty-nine patients presented with an absence or dramatic reduction of symptoms, especially vertigo...that’s 97%!
Aftertwoyears,onascaleof0to10,with0representingtheabsenceofthesymptomand10beingtheworstimaginable,vertigowasloweredfromanaverageof8.5to1.4.Priortotheonsetofsymptoms,allonehundredandthirtyninecasessufferedcervicaltraumas;mostfromautomobileaccidents,resultinginpreviouslyundiagnosedwhiplashinjuries.
These improvements made a significant difference for 135 out of 139 patients, effecting whether or not they could work, drive and/or have a positive relationship with their spouse.
Theymightgetdizzy,butwouldnothavevertigo.Theymightgetnauseous,butwouldnolongervomit.Forthosethatstillhadattacks,theyoccurredlessoften,lastedforashorterdurationandwerenotasintense.Recoverytimewasalsosignificantlyshorter.
HereanExamplefromDr.Burcon’sstudyofaTypicalCaseHistorywithResults “Jackfirstpresentedwithleft-sidedMeniere’sonJune11,2001.Hewasdiagnosedbyan Ear,NoseandThroatspecialistbasedontheresultsofanormalMRIofthebrain,positiveaudiologicalexaminationforhearingloss,andanabnormalbithermalcalorictest(ENG).HewasreferredtotheMichiganEarInstitute,whereendolymphaticsacdecompressionsurgerywasrecommended.Hedeclinedsurgeryandreceivedaletterrecommendingthatheapplyfordisabilitybenefits,whichweregrantedbytheStateofMichigan.
Casehistoryincludedarearendedtypeofautomobileaccidentat45mphin1980.Meniere’ssymptomsstartedin1994withfrequentboutsofvertigolastingfromonedaytooneweek,accompaniedbynauseaandvomiting.Complaintsincludedconstantearfullnessandtinnitus,andfrequentneckpainandheadaches.
Jack presented with a 1” short left leg relative to his right. The next week he presented with his legs balanced and was vertigo free. His wife said that his voice had changed. He reported being able to walk four times as far. At six weeks, according to his Meniere’s questionnaire, vertigo was down to 2 from
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10, nausea/vomiting down to 0 from 10 and ear pressure 1 from 10 (10 being the worst possible). He went just over one year with no vertigo.”
IntheconclusionofDrBurcon’sresearchhestatedthat“Allpatientswithahistoryofvertigoordizzinessshouldbequestionedaboutahistoryoftrauma,especiallywhiplashfromanautomobileaccident,contactsportsinjury,orseriousfalls.Patientsoftenforgettheseaccidents,thinkingthattheywerenothurtbecausetheydidnotbreakanybonesandwerenotbleeding.Patientswithahistoryofbothvertigoandtraumashouldbereferredtoanuppercervicalspecificchiropractorforexamination.”
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4One of the most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis is vertigo, dizziness or disequilibrium. Has your life been dramatically affected by multiple sclerosis?
Have you seen your health deteriorate over time?
Are the side effects of the drugs becoming too much for you?
Therehastobeabetterway!!Andthereis…Butitcomesfromanunlikelysource.
Haveyoueverhadaheadorneckinjury?Haveyoueverhadwhiplash?Hadafall?Beeninacarcrash?Haveyoubeenknockedunconsciousorhadaconcussion?Iftheanswerisyes,thenyouarelikelytohavehadanundetectedbrainsteminjury!!
Thebrainstemisthevitalconnectionbetweenyourbrainandyourbody.Smallinjuriescalledmisalignmentsfrequentlyhappenduringthesetypesofaccidentswhentheheadandneckareviolentlytwisted,turnedorwhippedaround.Thesebrainstemmisalignmentsdisruptthebrain’sabilitytoproperlyregulatethebody’ssystems.
Thestandardmedicalapproachtomultiplesclerosisandotherchronicconditionsistogivemedicationswhichcanbetoxicanddangerous.
Inthelastcoupleofdecades,manynewdrugshavecomeonthemarkettotreatM.S.Yetforallthenewoptions,manyofthe400,000peopleintheUnitedStatesafflictedwiththediseasehavenotseenimprovements,andsomeM.S.patientsfindthattheadversereactionsfromthedrugsaren’tworththebenefits.
Someofthemostcommonsideeffectsofmultiplesclerosismedicationsareflu-likesymptoms,depression,liverandheartproblems,andevenmanydeaths!
MULTIPLESCLEROSIS
Multiple Sclerosis Drugs
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SideeffectsaremoretherulethantheexceptionwhenitcomestoMSdrugs,butunfortunatelytheycontinuetobeofferedasafirst-linetreatmentforthosewithMS,eventhoughnaturalstrategiescanbeextremelyeffective.
Arelativelyunknownprocedureknownasuppercervicalcarehasshowndramaticimprovementinthosestrugglingwithmultiplesclerosis.
Researchthathascomeoutinthepastfewyearshasmoreandmoremultiplesclerosisresearcherslookingatthebloodandcerebrospinalfluidflowtoandfromthebrain.Whenamisalignmentoccursintheupperneckandobstructiontakesplace.Cerebrospinalfluid,bloodfromarteriesandveinsandnerveflowisdisrupted.
Theseupperneckmisalignmentsarefrequentlycausedbyaccidentsandinjuriesthatmayhaveoccurredyearsorevendecadespriortotheonsetofsymptoms.
Harvard Multiple Sclerosis researcher, Dr. Charles Poser noted that “in some patients with MS, certain kinds of trauma (to the brain and/or spinal cord, including whiplash injuries) may act as a trigger at some time for the appearance of new or recurrent symptoms.”
AccordingtotheNationalMultipleSclerosisSocietyChronicCerebrospinalVenousInsufficiencyorCCSVI,isanabnormalityinblooddrainagefromthebrainandspinalcord,thatmaycontributetonervoussystemdamageinMS.CCSVIhasbeengettingalotofpressinrecentyearsduetoresearchpublishedbyDr.PaoloZambonifromtheUniversityofFerrarainItaly.Dr.ZamboniandothershaverecommendedlargerscalestudiestodetermineifCCSVImaybetreatedthroughasurgicalprocedure,whichinvolvesinsertingatinyballoonorstentintoblockedveinsinordertoimprovetheflowofbloodoutofthebrain.ThisprocedureproducedcompleteremissionsinMSin90%oftheparticipantsoftheoriginalstudy!
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Butthequestioniswhyaretheveinsblockedtobeginwith?
NewresearchfromEurope,somepublishedsomenotpublishedyet,thatexaminedmultiplesclerosispatientswithCCSVIisaddingtothegrowingbodyofevidencethatamisalignmentintheupperneckmaybetheunderlyingcauseoftheblockage.Thenew research articlesfoundthattheupperneckwasmisalignedandcausingthecompressioninthemajorityofthepatients.
Sohowdoestheupperneckgetmisaligned?
Dr.CharlesPoserofHarvardMedicalSchoolwhohasbeenlookingintothisconnectionformorethan20yearsandhasstatedthat...
“A cervical cord whiplash injury is likely to unmask or worsen the natural course of MS”
Uppercervicaldoctorshavealwayshadtremendousresultswithmultiplesclerosispatientssymptomssuchasvertigo,balanceproblems,fatigue,migrainesetc.butnowwehavebeguntogetvalidationfromscientificresearchconductedbymedicaldoctors.
2 Italian medical doctors Dr Mandolesi and Dr. Marceca currently conducting multiple sclerosis research have recently stated:
“Our preliminary results of our research of how upper cervical care can help multiple sclerosis is very positive. This is very exciting to us! To find something that helps multiple sclerosis patients and to do the research that documents the results statistically”
YoucanreadmoreaboutthisresearchinDrRayDrury’sbookTheBestKeptSecretinHealth Care
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Foryearsuppercervicaldoctorshavebeenaskingpatientsiftheyhaveahistoryofheadandneckinjuriesincluding,caraccidents,falls,timeswheretheyhavebeenknockedunconscious,hadaconcussionorstitchestotheirhead.
Why?
Whenaccidentsandinjuriestearloosetheconnectivetissuethatholdsthespineinplaceitcreatesaweakness,whichallowsthespinetobreakdownandlockintoastressedposition.
Theareaofthebodythatisthemostvulnerabletoinjuryandhasthemostfarreachingeffectsistheupperneck.Thetopboneinthespine,theatlassitsrightunderneaththeskullandwhenthetissuesarounditbecomestretchedanddamagedtheweightoftheheadwillbeshiftedfromcenter.
Oncethepositionoftheheadisalteredthepositionoftheeyesandearsisalteredaswell.Thebrainwillinitiateareflexcalledtherightingreflexinordertobalancetheeyesandthesemicircularcanalsintheearswiththehorizon.
Theproblemisnowtheheadisslightlyoffcenterandthespinemustadapttothatpositionbytwistingandturningtheremainingstructureofthespine.Thiswillleadtotiltingoftheshoulders,thehipsandimbalanceallthewaydowntothelegsleadingtoanunequaldistributionofweight.
Bodyimbalancecanleadtoavarietyofdifferenthealthproblems,butfrequentlyhasthesamerootcause...
The original head or neck injury created a misalignment of the Atlas bone at the base of the skull which led to the subsequent problems with the structure of the body, nerve and blood flow from the brain to the body.
POSTCONCUSSIONSYNDROME
Do Concussions Cause Chronic Headaches and Vertigo?
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Concussion Research
HereisagreatexamplefromaresearcharticlepublishedintheJournalofUpperCervicalChiropracticResearch~January6,2011 A23-year-oldfemalepatientpresentedforuppercervicalchiropracticcarefivemonthsafteraslipandfallthatresultedinaconcussion.The patient presented with symptomsofvertigoandheadachesconsistentwithpostconcussionsyndrome.Thepatienthadalongstandinghistoryofheadachesthatwereexacerbatedbytheconcussionandanewcomplaintofpositionalvertigothatoccurredimmediatelyfollowingthetrauma.Significantbodyimbalanceswerenotedincludingaleglengthdifference.SpecificUpperCervicalX-raysdemonstratedanuppercervicalmisalignment.
ShebegantoreceiveUpperCervicalSpecificChiropracticcareandtheheadacheandvertigowasgoneimmediatelyfollowingthefirstadjustment.PostX-Rayevaluationshowedasignificantimprovementinthealignmentoftheheadandneck.Thefollowupexaminationthefollowingdayrevealedasignificantdecreaseinmusclesspasmintheneckandthelegswerebalanced.
Thepatient’scarewascontinuedonafrequencyoftwicepermonthforevaluationsandprogressmonitoring.Shecontinuedtoreportacompleteresolutionofvertigoandasignificantimprovementintheheadachesaswell.
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WHIPLASHASSOCIATEDDISORDERS
Aninjurytotheneckcausedbyasuddenmovementofthehead,backward,forward,orsideways,iscommonlyreferredtoas“whiplash.”Whiletheterm“whiplash”ismostfrequentlyusedtodescribeautoaccidentinjuries(inwhichapersonisrear-ended,hithead-on,orhitfromtheside),whiplashcanalsofrequentlyoccurduringskiaccidents,bikeaccidents,falls,blowstothehead,andotherhead/necktraumas.
THE MYTH:“IfIdon’thaveanysymptomsrightaway,I’mO.K.”.
THE TRUTH...Aftermanyautoandsport-relatedtraumas,symptomscanbesoslightatfirst,anindividualmaynotrealizehe/shehasbeeninjured.Evenifapersonfeelsrelativelynormalafteranaccident,he/sheshouldbethoroughlyexamined.Symptomscanbedelayedfordays,months,orevenyears.
COMMON SYMPTOMS:Thefollowingaresymptomsthatcanoccurfollowingahead/neckinjury(daystoyearslater):
Inmanycases,moresevereimmune-related,neurological,pain,anddiseaseconditions(ChronicFatigueSyndrome,SusceptibilitytoInfection,ADHD,Seizures,MultipleSclerosis)canresultfromhead/neckinjuries,sometimesoccurringmanyyearsaftertheaccident.
Inmanycases,moresevereimmune-related,neurological,pain,anddiseaseconditions(ChronicFatigueSyndrome,SusceptibilitytoInfection,ADHD,Seizures,MultipleSclerosis)canresultfromhead/neckinjuries,sometimesoccurringmanyyearsaftertheaccident.
• Neckpainand/orstiffness • Blurredordoublevision • Irritability • Depression • Fatigue • Insomnia • Dizziness/Vertigo • Painbetweentheshoulderblades • Paininthearms,legs,feet,hands • Headaches,Migraines
• Lowbackpainand/orstiffness • Shoulderpain • Nausea • Ringingintheears(tinnitus),Hearingloss • Numbnessandtingling • Jawand/orfacepain • Post-concussionsyndrome • andmanymore!
Old whiplash injuries linked to a variety of different chronic conditions
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Twomillionpeopleareexposedtowhiplashinjury(relatedtoanautoaccident)intheU.S.everyyear.
Whentheheadissuddenlyjerkedbackandforthorside-to-sidebeyonditsnormallimits,ligamentssupportingtheneckvertebraecanbesprained(over-stretched)ortorn,forcingvertebraeoutoftheirnormalposition.
Intestsoflowspeedrearimpactcollisions,itwasreportedthattheneckcanbeinjuredeveninslowspeedsaccidentsaslowas5mph. Mostrearimpactaccidentsoccuratcrashspeedsof6to12mph-speedsbelowthethresholdforpropertydamagetothevehicle-butsufficienttocauseneckinjury. Whiplashinjuriestothecervicalspinecanoccurinsports(skiing,hockey,football,cycling,iceskating,gymnastics,boxing),duringfalls(downaflightofstairs,onanicysidewalk),andmanymore!
Ifaperson(infant,child,oradult)experiencesanaccident,aproperspinalexamisnecessarytoassesswhetheraneckinjuryoccurred.Anuppercervicalchiropracticspecialistusesspecializedtestingandspecificx-raysoftheuppernecktoaccuratelyassessaneckinjury.Ifaneckinjuryisfound,aspecificadjustmentisusedtocorrecttheinjuredvertebrae.Correctionoftheneckinjurycanimprove,reverse,andpreventnumerouswhiplashsymptoms.
Whiplash Facts
How Can Upper Cervical Help An Accident Sufferer?
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Dr.MichaelBurconinMichiganhasdoneexcellentworkinresearchingtheconnectionbetweentheupperneckandconditionslikeMeniere’sDisease,tinnitus,vertigoandothers.
Burcon has established a link to these conditions with whiplash injuries that misalign the base of the skull with the top of the neck creating a lesion affecting the Eustachian tube. Abouthalfofthesetraumasarecausedbycarcrashesandtheotherhalffrominjuriesinvolvingheadtrauma.Burcon believes that the correlation was not made because it takes an average of fifteen years from the time the patient was injured until the onset of symptoms.
Patientstypicallygetdiagnosedwiththeseconditionsinmiddleage.Their injuries most often happened during high school or college years from a car accident, sports injury or fall on their heads. Few patientslisttheseoldinjuriesontheirdoctor’sadmissionpaperwork.In fact, they have often forgotten about them, believing they were not hurt if they were not admitted to the hospital.
Whenthecauseisaddressedamazingrecoverycantakeplace.Butthecausehastobeidentifiedandaddressed.
Here’sanotherexamplefromtheliterature:
“Datafrom60chronicvertigopatientswhorecalledpriortrauma,presentedwithuppercervicalinjuries,andreceiveduppercervicalchiropracticcare.Eachpatientwasexaminedandcaredforintheauthor’sprivatepracticeinanuncontrolled,non-randomizedenvironmentoveraneight-yearperiod.
The60patientswerediagnosedbytheirphysicianswiththefollowingtypesofchronicvertigo:benignparoxysmalpositionalvertigo(BPPV),cervicogenic,disembarkmentsyndrome,labyrinthitis,Meniere’s,andmigraine-associatedvertigo(MAV).Ofthe60vertigopatients,56recalledexperiencingatleastoneheadornecktraumapriortotheonsetofvertigoincludingautoaccidents(25patients);sportingaccidents,suchasskiing,cycling,orhorsebackriding(sixteenpatients);orfallsonicysidewalksordownstairs(sixpatients).
HEADANDNECKINJURIES
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Uppercervicalsubluxationswerefoundinall60cases.All60patientsrespondedtouppercervicalspecificchiropracticcarewithinonetosixmonthsoftreatment.Forty-eightpatientsweresymptom-freefollowingtreatmentandtwelvecaseswereimprovedinthattheseverityand/orfrequencyofvertigoepisodeswerereduced.”
Hereisanothercasestudy:
A 23-year-old female patient presented for upper cervical chiropractic care five months after a slip and fall that resulted in a concussion. The patient presented with symptoms of vertigo and
headaches consistent with post-concussion syndrome. The patient had a longstanding history of headaches that were exacerbated by the concussion and a new complaint of positional vertigo that occurred immediately following the trauma. Significant body imbalances were noted including a leg length difference. Specific Upper Cervical X-rays demonstrated an upper cervical misalignment.
She began to receive Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic care and the headache and vertigo was gone immediately following the first adjustment. Post X-Ray evaluation showed a significant improvement in the alignment of the head and neck. The follow up examination the following day revealed a significant decrease in muscles spasm in the neck and the legs were balanced.
The patient’s care was continued on a frequency of twice per month for evaluations and progress monitoring. She continued to report a complete resolution of vertigo.
Here is another:
“A 54 year-old female patient entered the office with complaints of migraines 1-2 times per week and extreme chronic neck pain and vertigo for the past 10 years. She was injured in a motor vehicle accident ten years prior to her first visit in our
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office. The patient was seen 19 times over a period of 12 weeks. She received 3 upper cervical corrections during this time. The patient reported having 1 migraine 2 weeks after the first correction. Since that time, she has reported no migraine episodes, neck pain or vertigo.”
You’llseethatthecommondenominatorinallofthesecasesisheadorneckinjuries.Whiplash,concussionsandotherheadandneckinjuriesleadingtoupperneckmisalignmentschangesinbrainfluidandbloodflowandresultingsymptoms.
Dr.RaymondDamadian,theinventoroftheMRIhasbeendoingsomeamazingresearchwithuprightMRIs.He’sbeenabletoshowthatwhensomeonehasamisalignmentintheupperneckitisactuallychangingtheflowofcerebralspinalfluid(CSF)to,fromandthroughthebrain.CSFisthefluidthatlubricatesthebrainandspinalcord.Thisresearchishelpingscientiststoexplaintheresultsuppercervicalchiropractorsareseeingintheirofficeseveryday.
TheuprightMRItechnologycanshowtheobstructionatthefirstfewbonesintheneckandhowthismisalignmentcausesabackupofCSFandincreasedintracranialpressure.Whenthemisalignmentiscorrectedbyanuppercervicalprocedure,thestudiesshowthatthepressuredecreasesby28.6%!AndtheCSFflowbecomesnormal.
ThesechangesinCSF,bloodflowandintracranialpressurearelikelylinkedtotheresultsuppercervicalchiropractorsseewithvertigopatientsandseveralotherconditions,especiallyafterahistoryofheadornecktrauma.
Keep reading to learn more about the upper cervical approach
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GETTINGHELPFROMADIFFERENT KINDOFSPECIALIST
Ifyou’vebeensufferingfromvertigo,dizziness,disequilibrium,Ménière’sdisease,multiplesclerosis,postconcussionsyndromeorwhiplashassociateddisordersorotherrelatedconditionsforsometimeyou’velikelybeentocountlessnumbersofdoctors,specialistsandotherpractitioners.
But there is one specialist that you have likely never been to…an upper cervical specialist. Upper cervical specialists correct underlying brain stem injuries with incredible results!
Have you ever had a car crash, fall, sports injury, or have you been a victim of domestic violence?
Haveyoubeenknockedunconscious,hadaconcussion,whiplash,orotherinjurytoyourhead,neckorspine?Ifyouhavehadaheadornecktraumaitislikelythatyouhavesufferedanundetectedinjurytoyourupperneck(theatlasandaxisvertebraeisalsoknownasC1andC2).
Upperneckinjuriesareverycommon,especiallyinthosesufferingwithvertigo,dizzinessanddisequilibrium.Whentheupperneckismisalignedduetoaccidentsandinjuriesitchangesthewaythebrainisworking,includingchangingtheflowofbloodandcerebrospinalfluid.
Whensomeoneexperiencesaninjurythatcausestheconnectivetissue,whichholdthespineinplace,tobetornloosethatinjurywillthencausethespinetobreakdownandbecomelockedintoastressedposition.Theareaofthespinethatismostfrequentlyaffectedistheupperneckareabecauseitisthemostmovableandthemostvulnerabletoinjury.Oncethisupperneckareaismisaligneditwillbegintoaffectthefunctionofthebrainstem.Thisundetectedbrainsteminjurycanleadtoavarietyofproblems.
Ifyouhavehadanaccidentorinjurythathasledtoamisalignmentofyourupperneck,wewillbeabletolocateitandcorrectitwithaspecializeduppercervical(upperneck)correctiveprocedure.
But I’ve Seen a Chiropractor and It Didn’t Help
Atthispointyoumaybethinking,“butI’veseenachiropractoranditdidn’thelp.”Oryoumaybewondering,“cananychiropractordothistypeofprocedure?”
Theuppercervicalcorrectiveprocedurethatweutilizehasbeendevelopedoverthepast80+years.Theproceduretakesrigorouspostgraduatetraining;thisiswhyonlyapproximately250doctorsworldwidehavemasteredthistechnique.
Uppercervicaltechniqueshavebeendemonstratedtoimprovehighbloodpressure,neckpain,multiplesclerosis,seizures,sleepproblems,migraineheadaches,Parkinson’sdiseaseandofcourse,vertigoandMénière’sdisease.Theuppercervicalcorrectionisverypreciseandverygentlewithoutanyofthepopping,cracking,ortwistingofthespineinvolvedwithageneralchiropracticadjustment.
TheUpperCervicalDoctortakesextremelyprecisex-raysoftheheadandnecktodeterminetheseverityandtypeofthespinalmisalignmentinsteadofrelyingonguesswork.TheDoctorwillthenanalyzethex-raysutilizingmathematics,physicsandbiomechanicstodetermineaspecificuppercervicalcorrectionformulathatwillworktobringyourspinebackintoalignment.Afterthefirstuppercervicalcorrection,theDoctorwilltaketwopostx-raystodeterminetheresponseofthebodytotheinitialcorrection. Aftertheinitialevaluationthedoctorwillbeabletoestimatethenumberofcorrectionsneededandthelengthoftimenecessaryforthespinetobestabilized.It’snotaboutbeingadjustedthousandsoftimes.It’saboutgettingthespinebackintoanormalandbalancedpositionandkeepingitthatwayforaslongaspossible.
Generalchiropracticmanipulationisalotlike
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vaguedirections.Sometimesyouwillgettoyourdestinationbutmanytimesyouwillmissthemark.
AspecificuppercervicalcorrectiveprocedureislikehavingapreprogrammedGPS.Inthatcircumstance,you’remuchmorelikelytogettheresultsthatyouwerelookingfor.Itisspinalengineering…physics,mathematicsandbiomechanicsappliedtothespine.
Whensomeoneissufferingfromvertigo,dizziness,ordisequilibrium,thebrainstemisfrequentlyinvolved.Upper neck misalignments alter the brain stem function and can lead to problems such as vertigo.Whentheseoldinjuriesaredealtwithbythecorrectionoftheheadpositionbyapreciseuppercervicalcorrectiveprocedure,thehealingprocesscanbegin.
Holdingthecorrectionsisthekeytohealing,nothavingyourspinemanipulated1000’softimesbyageneralchiropractor!
Nownotalldizziness,vertigoanddisequilibriumisrelatedtoheadandnecktraumas.But if you have a history of those types of accidents then an evaluation with a qualified upper cervical specialist is very important.Iftheunderlyingcausecanbeidentified,whatadifferenceitcanmakeforyourlife!
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BeWell, Dr.LaurelGriffin Board-CertifiedAtlasOrthogonist Upper Cervical Specialist www.precisionchirowest.com
CONCLUSION
InthishealthreportIhopeyouhavelearnedaboutanaturalapproachtohealthforthosesufferingwithvertigo,dizziness,disequilibrium,Ménière’sdisease,multiplesclerosis,postconcussionsyndromeandotherrelatedconditions.Ialsohopethatyouareconsideringthatanundetectedbrainsteminjurymaybethereasonforyoursymptoms.
Pleasefeelfreetoreadthroughtheresearchreferencesbelow.Ihopeyouwillfindhopeandhealingsoon.
IfyouwouldliketospeakwithmepersonallyinourWestDesMoinesofficeaboutyourconditioncall515-224-1093ortoscheduleaconsultationclickthebuttonbelow.
• UpperCervicalProtocoltoReduceVertebralSubluxationinTenSubjectswithMenieres:ACaseSeries,MichaelBurconDC JournalofVertebralSubluxationResearch~June2,2008~Pages1-8
• CervicalSpecificProtocolandResultsfor139Meniere’sPatients,MichaelT.Burcon,,D.C.http://menieresresearch.com/research/
• UpperCervicalChiropracticCareofaPatientwithPostConcussionSyndrome,PositionalVertigoandHeadachesAlishaMayheuDC&MatthewSweatDCJournalofUpperCervicalChiropracticResearch~January6,2011
• Uppercervicalchiropracticcareforchronicmigrainesandvertigo:acasereportMichaelLenarz,D.C.,ChristopherPerkins,D.C.,MychalBeebe,D.CJournalofuppercervicalchiropracticresearch
• SixtyPatientsWithChronicVertigoUndergoingUpperCervical ChiropracticCaretoCorrectVertebralSubluxation:ARetrospectiveAnalysis,JournalofVertebralSubluxationResearch2006(Nov8);1–9ErinL.Elster,D.C.
• Vertigo,tinnitus,andhearinglossinthegeriatricpatient.KessingerRC,BonevaDV.JManipulativePhysiolTher.2000Jun;23(5):352-62.
• Vertigoinpatientswithcervicalspinedysfunction.GalmR,RittmeisterM,SchmittE.EurSpineJ.1998;7(1):55-8.
• Meniere’sDiseaseSymptomatologyResolutionwithSpecificUpperCervicalCareMarkA.JonesDC&BryanJ.SalminenDCJournalofUpperCervicalChiropracticResearch~Issue1~March29,2012~Pages31-39
• Atlasvertebrarealignmentandachievementofarterialpressuregoalinhypertensivepatients:apilotstudy.BakrisG,DickholtzMSr,MeyerPM,KravitzG,AveryE,MillerM,BrownJ,WoodfieldC,BellB.JHumHypertens.2007May;21(5):347-52.Epub2007Marhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17252032
• Thepossibleroleofcranio-cervicaltraumaandabnormalCSFhydrodynamicsinthegenesisofmultiplesclerosisDamadianRV,ChuD.PhysiolChemPhysMedNMR.2011;41:1-17.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21970155
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UPPERCERVICALRESEARCH