Dizziness & Vertigo After A Car Accident – The Role of Chiropractic in Management

Dizziness and vertigo are common symptoms after a car accident, whiplash, or head injury.  Dizziness can be a difficult symptom to describe but may include one or several of the following:

• Dizziness or Spinning
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Unsteadiness
• Lightheadedness

The two main causes of dizziness are the inner ear or cervical spine.  The inner ear contains channels filled with fluid and crystals which helps the brain to monitor movement and maintain balance.  In a motor vehicle accident (MVA) the impact can dislodge the crystals resulting in an altered ability of the brain to monitor movement and maintain balance.  Chiropractic care is less likely to provide effective dizziness treatment after a car accident if the inner ear is the source.

The cervical spine is loaded with proprioceptors.  Proprioceptors are receptors that detect movement and thus play a major role in maintaining balance, equilibrium, and dizziness symptoms.  Whiplash and head injuries take the cervical structures beyond their normal capacity, resulting in injury.  These injuries to the cervical spine can cause dizziness and vertigo.  Chiropractic adjustments positively affect the proprioceptors in the cervical spine.  Not every patient with dizziness gets better with chiropractic care.  But, oftentimes if the cause of the dizziness is the cervical spine patients will experience improvement in dizziness following a short trial of adjustments.

If the inner ear is the cause of the patients dizziness then there was likely a hit to the head.  For example, the patient hit their head on something after being rear ended in a motor vehicle accident. The dizziness starts almost immediately as the trauma displaced one of the stones in the inner ear.  Oftentimes, the cervical spine is neglected in being evaluated as a cause of dizziness.

If you are seeking dizziness relief after a car accident then please contact my office today.  We are open Monday-Thursday and have a same day appointment policy for both established and new patients.  We serve patients in Roseville, MN, Saint Paul, MN, Arden Hills, MN, Shoreview, MN, and Falcon Heights, MN.