Vertigo & The Spine
Category: Spine | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
Vertigo is a condition that causes a patient to feel dizzy, and it’s usually caused by an issue in the ear, brain and nerve sensory pathway. In some instances, the nerve sensory problem that is causing these dizzy spells can be linked to an issue in your spine. Today, we take a closer look at how spine problems can contribute to vertigo, and how you can treat the problem.
Vertigo Caused By Back Problems
Vertigo plagues millions of Americans each year, and it can be hard to treat because it can be caused by a variety of different issues in different locations. Primary care doctors often look to the head for answers, but the true problem may be housed in your spine. If you aren’t finding relief for your vertigo, there’s a decent chance that you aren’t treating the root cause.
When vertigo is caused by a spinal issue, it usually occurs because a spinal vertebrae is pressing against a sensory nerve. This compression interrupts the normal transmission of sensory signals along the neural pathway, which can cause problems like dizziness, lightheadedness, sensitivity to light, hearing loss and other conditions associated with vertigo.
If spinal compression is contributing to your symptoms of vertigo, odds are the condition is exacerbated by movement, which will cause the nerves or an artery to be compressed. This is more noticeable if you are dealing with vertigo caused by an issue in your cervical spine, as patients report symptoms when they move their neck.
Spine-related vertigo is usually caused by one or more of the following actions:
- Acute trauma
- Sports-related injury
- Degenerative arthritis
- Failed spinal surgery
Treating Vertigo Caused By A Spine Issue
The most important thing to do when it comes to treating spine-related vertigo is to ensure you have a correct diagnosis. Treatment will fail if you are not targeting the source of the problem. The best way to ensure you have a correct diagnosis is to be examined by a spine specialist instead of a general practitioner. They have a number of diagnostic tools at their disposal to help pinpoint the source of the spinal compression, and once that is identified, a comprehensive treatment plan can be developed.
Like most issues involving disc compression, your doctor will begin with some conservative care treatment options, including rest, physical therapy, safe stretching and exercising programs and anti-inflammatory medications. If eight weeks of conservative care options fail to resolve the problem, your doctor may work to determine if a surgical procedure would be in your best interest. There are a number of different spine surgery techniques to alleviate the spinal compression, so while we can’t speak to your specifics, each surgery will have the same two goals – relieve the compression and ensure the stability of the spine. Surgery to address compression-induced vertigo generally has a very high rate of success.
