As veteran MI vertigo doctors, we’ve seen how the balance system connects to overall motor output. When you’re balanced, you’re able to maintain the body’s center of mass over its base of support.
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Balance System Malfunction Results in Vertigo
Achieving balance is impossible without the help of a complex system involving the touch, movement, and motor input to the brain and output to the eyes and body muscles. A vertigo attack, however, unravels that balance altogether.
What’s alarming about vertigo attacks is that they can be debilitating and dangerous. You cannot afford to have the feeling of everything around you spin all of a sudden while driving a car or operating heavy machinery.
And once a vertigo episode hits, some people find it difficult to function. These attacks may last for as short as a few minutes to as long as an entire day.
We’re writing this article to provide a better understanding of how vertigo affects the body’s balance system, which also distresses motor output. After reading this, you should be able to deal with this condition better or help others by passing along these pieces of information.
Motor Output Explained
When the eyes, joints, muscles, and vestibular organs receive information from the brain, sensory integration happens. Motor output comes after sensory integration. This is when the brainstem sends impulses from the brain to the muscles that control movement for the eyes, head, and neck, as well as the torso and legs.
Motor output is best explained through the first few times a baby learns to walk. It’s during this stage when they learn to keep their balance through practice and repetition. This act of repetition is called facilitation, which helps the baby maintain balance during any activity.
This act of repetition is what helps athletes, musicians, and other experts achieve a level of mastery in their craft. And if a problem occurs with just one of the sensory inputs, facilitation helps reset the system to regain balance.
But once a mismatch of information occurs between the brain and the body, and facilitation malfunctions, and vertigo can occur.
What Is the Vestibular System?
Located in the inner ear, the vestibular system is responsible for sending motor control signals from the nervous system to the muscles. This is done using an automatic function referred to as the vestibulo-ocular reflex or VOR.
The number of signals that the brain receives from the right side of the vestibular organs is the same amount from the left side. So if the head turns to the right, for instance, the number of signals from the right ear increases. Inversely, the number of messages from the left ear decreases.
The difference in these signals is what enables eye movement in regard to balance. It also allows you to keep your gaze still during active head motion.
The Body’s Balance System and Vertigo
The human balance system mainly relies on feedback from several sources, all of which are susceptible to damage or disruption due to injury, disease, or wear and tear from aging. A malfunction of the body’s balance system can also result in vertigo attacks, which include a spinning sensation, visual disturbances, and fatigue.
In some cases, the affected person also experiences nausea, vomiting and jerking eye movements.
The complexity of the human balance system makes diagnosing and caring for balance disorders a lot more complicated. But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope for a full recovery, and there is one natural form of relief that’s deemed effective.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care to Alleviate Vertigo Symptoms
A possible reason for any balance system issue is a misalignment of the top two bones of the neck. These bones are referred to as the C1 and C2 vertebrae, respectively. Both are shaped uniquely to allow the head to move in different directions freely. Both bones are also responsible for protecting the brainstem.
Once a misalignment happens, the brainstem endures unnecessary stress and pressure. And since the brainstem acts as the primary communication highway between the brain and body, signals may be misconstrued. Vertigo can occur from mismatched signals coming from the various locations of the body that comprise the balance system.
Fixing the spinal misalignment allows the correct sending of messages to the brain. And this is what we as MI vertigo doctors offer to our patients through upper cervical chiropractic care.
Here in our clinic, Balanced Living Chiropractic, we make use of gentle and precise methods to encourage the bones to realign. We veer away from the popping and cracking techniques that other chiropractors may use.
Our goal is to provide the most natural form of relief to help the bones shift back to their correct positions.
Upon successful realignment, restoration of proper communication follows. It leads to fewer and fewer vertigo spells, helping our patients have healthy and hassle-free lives. Some patients even experience a total stop of their vertigo episodes after receiving care.
So if you’re in search of MI vertigo doctors, our clinic at Balanced Living Chiropractic in Rochester Hills is here for you. Our chiropractors are always hard at work to provide you with much-needed relief. We only want the best for our patients.
If you have any concerns, inquiries, or questions, drop us a line at 248-831-0729, or email us at frontdesk@balancedlivingchiropracticplc.com. You can also schedule a consultation to help you make a more informed decision. We’ll do our best to address your needs and provide you with the necessary details that could be of great help to you.
To schedule a complimentary NUCCA consultation, call 248-831-0729 or just click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.