When the C1, also known as the atlas vertebra, suffers a misalignment from a fall, an auto accident, or other trauma it places undue pressure on the brainstem, which connects the brain and the spinal cord. The way that the body sends and processes information becomes hindered. This results in various health problems, vertigo and dizziness being two of them. 
 
By seeking the care of an upper cervical chiropractor, a person is taking the first step to recovery. We specialize in detecting misalignments in the upper part of the neck and then working with patients individually, according to their needs, to correct the problem. The advanced methods that we use have been studied thoroughly and have proved to be successful in treating vertigo, motion sickness, and dizziness. It is important for all to take note of the way their body is functioning and take steps to correct any misalignment that may have occurred and may be causing problems. We would be happy to schedule an examination. Relief of symptoms may be just around the corner. ​

A recent case report published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research describes the story of a 63 year old woman that presented for care with right sided Meniere's disease after an unsuccessful attempt at surgical section of her vestibular nerve.  Prior to surgery the patient was offered and utilized drug therapy to control her symptoms, as well as a low sodium diet.  As with many cases prior to upper cervical chiropractic care, neck dysfunction or injury was not even considered in the diagnosis or the treatment strategy with this patients previous healthcare providers.  Up to this point the patient had been suffering from Meniere's disease for 14 years! 

Upon examination the patient was found to have signs of upper neck dysfunction in her spinal column via palpation, range of motion testing, orthopedic testing, and postural assessment.  Precision x-rays were taken of the neck to determine and quantify the level of dysfunction in the upper neck.  The x-rays also revealed a loss of the patients normal spinal curvature in the neck, and the spinal discs and vertebral bodies were degenerated and arthritic.  A precision x-ray derived vectored adjustment was developed from the patients unique anatomy as determined from the precision x-rays taken.  A precision correction was given and then a post x-ray assessment and analysis was performed to determine the effectiveness of the correction.  
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As the patient began to heal she had a rather dramatic change in symptoms.  During an interview the patient stated that "I was normal again... It was great to have the feeling that I would not have to take medication any longer to make it go away."  In the months following the patient was able to discontinue the use of prescription drugs and utilize upper cervical chiropractic care to manage her Meniere's disease symptoms, she had been worried about the dangerous side effect from the long term use of prescription drugs.

There needs to be more awareness of methods that are non-invasive for the treatment and management of vertigo and Meniere's disease.  It would seem logical that anyone that suffers with vertigo or Meniere's symptoms should have their neck evaluated by an Upper Cervical Chiropractic spinal expert. 

From a healthcare stand point Meniere's disease is one of the most challenging dysfunctions of the inner ear to treat in patients.  Did you know there are currently about 615,000 individuals in the US diagnosed with Meniere's disease, and this number is expected grows by about 45,000 per year according the NIDCD (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders).  How many of the estimated 615,000 Meniere's cases have had a previous injury to their head and neck? How many could potentially have an undiagnosed spinal problem in their upper neck?  To date we are not aware of any drug that can correct a spinal misalignment.  

Many patients do not realize the neck plays a significant role in balance control.  Misalignment and dysfunction of the upper neck can irritate the nerves in this area and interfere with proper blood flow, as well as cerebrospinal fluid flow in and out of the head which can affect the function of these structures.  This would seem like an obvious and logical thing to consider.  

As research continues to emerge it appears as though upper cervical chiropractic care is the non-invasive treatment of choice for Meniere's disease and vertigo patients.  
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To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and Meniere's disease download our e-book below. 

If you suffer from Vertigo, and you hear constant ringing, it is possible you might have Meniere's Disease. If you do, then you'll deal with hearing loss that will come for a period and then go, Tinnitus (you'll hear ringing), you'll feel fullness or pressure in your ear, and you'll also experience periods of Vertigo.
 
Meniere's Disease
 
Now, anyone at any age can experience Meniere's Disease, but people in their 40's and 50's are the most susceptible. No one is sure of the exact cause of this disease, but current research suggests either a large amount of a certain type of fluid in the inner ear may be the cause.
 
In order to understand how something as simple as an abundance of fluid can effect a person so drastically, it is important to understand how the inner ear works. This part of the ear, which is the part of the ear closest to the brain, that transmits the vibrations we call sound to the brain. Hair-like sensors within this part of the ear respond to fluids that flow through it.
 
In order for the inner ear to respond properly to those fluids, it is important that the right amount, pressure, and chemical compound flow through this portion of the ear. Research suggests that an improper flow of these fluids may be the cause of Meniere's Disease.
 
Though, it is possible that there may be other causes, which we listed below.

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and vertigo download our complimentary e-book

Other Possible Causes:

• Improper fluid drainage (caused by a blockage or anatomic abnormality)*
• Abnormal Immune Response
• Allergies
• Viral Infection
• Genetic Predisposition
• Head Trauma
• Migraines

 
Moving Past Meniere's
 
Now that you know what the possible causes are of this disease, you can take the next step and find out the exact cause. You can do that by not ignoring the symptoms or just trying to medicate the symptoms. You can do that by seeking out the care of an Upper Cervical Chiropractor, so they can find the cause of your Meniere's Disease.
 
They will do that by examining your upper neck vertebrae for any misalignments in your upper cervical spine that may be the underlying cause of your Meniere's Disease. If they find any misalignments, they will make the necessary adjustments in order to correct those misalignments. A misalignment in your upper cervical spine of only ¼ of a millimeter can place enough pressure on the brainstem to hinder the brain's ability to communicate with the body, but realigning those top two vertebrae in your spine will restore that communication process and allow your body to begin to heal itself.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Blom click the button below or call 208-559-0541

Head and Neck Trauma
 
Have you ever wondered why your ears don't function correctly or why your entire body doesn't keep balance the way it should? We're sure you have. You may not notice when things like that happen, or you may think things like that are just a normal part of life.
 
Well, it's not, and the reason your ears aren't functioning correctly, or you're suddenly experiencing trouble with your balance, is because your body is not aligned the way it should be. That happened because your spine is out of alignment.
 
Now, think of your spine like a set of dominos. When one is knocked out of alignment, all of the others are also knocked out of alignment. That's what happens when the top two vertebrae in your spine, also called your upper cervical spine, are knocked out of alignment.

​Your Spinal Misalignment and the Equator
 
When those two vertebrae are knocked out of alignment by as little as ¼ of a millimeter, your entire body and your head are also knocked out of alignment. You may not feel that misalignment, or you may become so used to it, that you may not notice it. That's because there is a built in function in your body called righting reflex that causes it to stay aligned with the horizon.

Now, the problem with that is that in order to keep your eyes, ears, and the rest of your body aligned with the horizon, that means your body needs to sustain the equivalency of a 10 to 14 lb. bowling ball on those top two bones in your upper neck.
 
Of course, this leads to another problem, and that is that your brain also needs to stay level with the horizon. Your brain then keeps your eyes and ears level with the horizon. That can lead to further complications throughout your body.
 
Complications from Spinal Misalignments

• A misalignment in your upper neck effects the way your body functions because your brain needs to communicate with your body. It primarily communicates with your spinal cord and your entire body by sending messages via the brainstem.
• That alignment in your upper cervical spine causes your entire spine to shift out of alignment, and that can cause your body's organs to also shift out of alignment
• Just as the brain's ability to communicate with your body is hindered, your upper neck cannot send messages via pressure sensors to your brain and brainstem.
• Your brainstem's ability to send messages to your ears via the cranial nerves is also hindered
• Your cerebral blood flow and the flow of your cerebrospinal fluid may also be hindered

 
Realigning Your Spine
 
Now, that last one is an important one, because when your cerebral blood flow is hindered, it can lead to vertigo, dizziness, and disequilibrium. The good news is that correcting that misalignment in your upper neck will cause your entire body to realign itself. That may not happen right away, but it will. And when it does, it will allow the body to begin to heal itself.
 
Though, it's important to note that vertigo, dizziness, and disequilibrium are not always caused by a misalignment in your upper neck. But if you have a history of head or neck injuries prior to the symptoms beginning that it is very likely to be connected. An upper cervical specialist can examine your upper neck for any misalignments that may be leading to those conditions, or any symptoms of those conditions.

​Ménière’s Disease affects many people in their normal lives and even some celebrities. Most recently 2015 Grammy nominee Ryan Adams talked about living his life with this condition. He has openly discussed the ups and downs of heaving the condition and almost quit music as a result. He describes the condition on good days as having the sounds of wind and a siren in his ears, and the bad days like standing in front of a jet engine.1

Ménière’s Disease is a condition that affects approximately 200 out of 100,000 people, starting around the age of 40 years old. The disease affects the inner ear which is responsible for balance and coordination. There are currently no FDA approved treatments for the condition and a wide array of treatment options. Adams sought out treatments ranging from hypnotherapy to medical marijuana and has been able to be functional through diet and lifestyle changes.2

​Many people suffer with the disease and have little to no success with traditional treatment options. However Ménière’s specialist Dr. Grayson Blom is helping patients get natural relief from Ménière’s Disease in Boise Idaho. As an Upper Cervical Chiropractor Dr Blom focuses on the relationship between the first bone in the spine known as the Atlas (C1 vertebra).
 
There is a proven correlation between the misalignment of the Atlas bone and Ménière’s Disease symptoms. In patients groups as large as 139 patients with Menieres Disease, all had suffered trauma to the neck and Atlas misalignments. The misalignment was shown to be corrected in as little as 1 or 2 adjustments and giving patients as much as a 70% reduction in symptoms3 naturally.
 
If you are suffering with Ménière’s Disease in Boise Idaho contact Dr Blom for a consultation to see how Upper Cervical Chiropractic can help you.

An injury to the neck caused by a sudden movement of the head, backward, forward, or sideways, is commonly referred to as "whiplash." While the term "whiplash" is most frequently used to describe auto accident injuries (in which a person is rear-ended, hit head-on, or hit from the side), whiplash can also frequently occur during ski accidents, bike accidents, falls, blows to the head, and other head/neck traumas.

Many people believe "If I don't have any symptoms right away, I'm O.K.", but that is rarely the case. 

After many auto and sport-related traumas, symptoms can be so slight at first, an individual may not realize he/she has been injured. Even if a person feels relatively normal after an accident, he/she should be thoroughly examined. Symptoms can be delayed for days, months, or even years.

COMMON SYMPTOMS:  The following are symptoms that can occur following a head/neck injury (days to years later):

• Neck pain and/or stiffness
• Blurred or double vision
• Irritability
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Dizziness / Vertigo
• Pain between the shoulder blades
• Pain in the arms, legs, feet, hands
• Headaches, Migraines
• Low back pain and/or stiffness
• Shoulder pain
• Nausea
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus), Hearing loss
• Numbness and tingling
• Jaw and/or face pain
• Post-concussion syndrome
• and many more!

In many cases, more severe immune-related, neurological, pain, and disease conditions (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Susceptibility to Infection, ADHD, Seizures, Multiple Sclerosis) can result from head/neck injuries, sometimes occurring many years after the accident.

If you are struggling with vertigo or dizziness following a whiplash injury download our e-book A Simple and Extremely Effective Way to Stop Dizziness without Drugs by clicking the image below.

Meniere's Disease, Cochlear Hydrops, Tinnitus, hearing loss, chronic ear infections and even vertigo can frequently be related to trauma to the nerves from the upper neck (lower brain stem area) that go into the ears. Upper neck trauma can lead to a variety of different ear problems due to the neurological connections.

Dr. Michael Burcon in Michigan has done excellent work in researching the connection between the upper neck and conditions like Meniere's Disease, tinnitus, vertigo and others.

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. About half of these traumas are caused by car crashes and the other half from injuries involving head trauma. 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.

Patients typically get diagnosed with these conditions in middle age. Their injuries most often happened during high school or college years from a car accident, sports injury or fall on their heads. Few patients list these old injuries on their doctor’s admission paper work. In fact, they have often forgotten about them, believing they were not hurt if they were not admitted to the hospital. It is possible to have fewer than the four classic symptoms of Meniere's Disease (hearing loss, fullness, tinnitus, and vertigo) yet be diagnosed with Meniere's Disease; this is sometimes said to be "atypical" Meniere's Disease. Some Meniere's Disease patients experience hearing loss, fullness, and tinnitus with no vertigo at all, a condition sometimes described as "cochlear hydrops."

When the cause is addressed amazing recovery can take place. But the cause has to be identified and addressed.

To find out more about the connection between head and neck injuries and Ménière's disease download are e-book below.

Vertigo, Dizziness and Disequilibrium

What Causes the Room to Spin?

Vertigo, dizziness, disequilibrium can be directly related to old head and neck injuries that have never been properly addressed and the underlying damage to the upper neck has led to dysfunction in the ears, the balancing system of the body or both.

When the head or neck is injured the upper neck (Atlas & Axis) frequently become twisted and misaligned leading to a slight displacement of the head...sometimes by as little as 3/4 of a degree.  Once the heavy head (10-14 lbs) is tilting to the side, the brain has to compensate for that change through the righting reflex to keep the eyes and ears level with the horizon at all times.

The entire structure of the body will twist and tilt in order to compensate for those upper neck misalignments and head tilt.  Eventually leading to pressure building up into the nerve system.  The area that is first impacted by these problems is the brain stem area, which is just basically a part of the brain that extends down into the spine and connects to the spinal cord.

The Key to the Balance of Our Bodies

The brain stem area is a key to the balance of our bodies.  This upper neck area has more pressure sensors the anywhere else in the body that feed information into the brain stem and the brain.  Also the brain stem sends messages via the cranial nerves to the ears for balance as well.  Blood flow is also effected when the brain stem function is altered.

When someone is suffering from vertigo, dizziness, or disequilibrium, the brain stem is frequently involved. Upper neck misalignments alter the brain stem function and can lead to problems such as vertigo. When these old injuries are dealt with by the correction of the head position by a precise upper cervical corrective procedure such as Upper Cervical, the healing process can begin.

Holding the corrections is the key to healing, not having your spine manipulated 1000's of times by a general chiropractor!

Now not all dizziness, vertigo and disequilibrium is related to head and neck traumas.  But if you have a history of those types of accidents then an evaluation with a qualified upper cervical specialist is very important.  If the underlying cause can be identified, what a difference it can make for your life!

To find out more about the connection between head and neck injuries and Ménière's disease download are e-book below.

Natural Vertigo Treatment in Boise Idaho

Is Your Vertigo All in Your Neck? Medical doctors will use over 50 different medications in an attempt to control dizziness or vertigo. But many people are unaware of a common cause of dizziness or vertigo that can be addressed naturally without drugs.

Dr. Michael Burcon in Michigan has done excellent work in researching the connection between the upper neck and conditions like vertigo, Meniere's Disease, tinnitus and others.

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. About half of these traumas are caused by car crashes and the other half from injuries involving head trauma. 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.

Patients typically get diagnosed with these conditions in middle age. Their injuries most often happened during high school or college years from a car accident, sports injury or fall on their heads. Few patients list these old injuries on their doctor’s admission paper work. In fact, they have often forgotten about them, believing they were not hurt if they were not admitted to the hospital.

In Dr. Burcon’s he saw over 90% improvement in patients diagnosed with vertigo following upper cervical chiropractic.

Whiplash and Vertigo

Following a whiplash injury, such as those common during a motor vehicle accident, as much as 25 to 50% of people will experience dizziness or vertigo. Many times this dizziness will subside after a few days, but other times it will linger for weeks, months or even years.

Whiplash clinically is similar to post concussion syndrome, but with the addition of neck complaints. Long term studies show that aches and pains may persist in 20 to 45% of patients with significant whiplash.

When the cause is addressed with an upper cervical chiropractic technique such as Upper Cervical, will, amazing recovery can take place. But the cause has to be identified and addressed.

Have you been diagnosed with vertigo or other related conditions?

Are you looking for a drug free vertigo treatment?

Have you ever had your upper neck thoroughly evaluated to see if the underlying cause could be there?

Today could be your day.

To find out more about the connection between head and neck injuries and Ménière's disease download are e-book below.