Everyone experiences a dizzy spell now and then but sometimes that bout of dizziness is actually an indicator of a more serious problem such as balance disorder. There are a variety of balance disorders and they are quite common. In fact, nearly 90 million people — and more than one in twenty children — in the US seek medical help for balance disorders each year. With more than a dozen different types of balance, or vestibular, disorders it ranks as the second most common compliant heard by doctors each year and, for patients over the age of 70, it is the number one complaint.
One particular balance disorder, Meniere’s Disease, has recently been in the news as singer/songwriter Huey Lewis of Huey Lewis in the News went public with his own struggle with the condition. In April of this year, the band announced the cancellation of their 2018 tour dates due to the diagnosis. Lewis talked with Rolling Stone about when the symptoms first appeared. “As I walked to the stage [in Dallas], it sounded like there was a jet engine going on,” he said. “I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t find pitch. Distorted. Nightmare. It’s cacophony.” Although unable to perform right now, Lewis can still talk on the phone and have normal conversations. Experimenting with different technologies, he, like singer Ryan Adams who has had Meniere’s disease for several years, is searching for a way to manage the disorder. For Lewis, Adams and countless other patients, the best treatment option may lie in finding a doctor who can seek out the root cause of the symptoms, which can be elusive.
Characterized by symptoms that include dizziness, the feeling of falling, lightheadedness, fainting, blurred vision, confusion or disorientation and sometimes even nausea, changes in heartrate, fear and anxiety, balance disorders can be downright scary. The causes of balance issues can range from medications to ear infections, head injuries, low blood pressure or anything that affects the inner ear, brain, skeletal or visual systems. But there are easy and effective ways to restore balance and well-being.
While many patients are told that Meniere’s Disease and other balance disorders are incurable, there are ways that many patients are managing the condition and just as each case is different, it follows suit that the care plans should be tailored to the individual. Using techniques including auditory and sensory therapies, balance and coordination activities, chiropractic adjustments, physical exercises and other safe and effective techniques, Chiropractic Neurologists target and treat the underlying cause of the symptoms. Highly trained experts in the areas of the brain, spine and nervous system, Chiropractic Neurologists treat brain and nervous system conditions including balance disorders and many others, that have not responded well to more aggressive or traditional methods that rely on drugs or surgical procedures.
If you or a loved one are experiencing balance disorders and are interested in learning more about how Chiropractic Neurology can benefit you or a loved one, please contact the team at Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center today.