Acupuncture For Vertigo

By Y.C. Chan, OMD, Dipl Ac

The most common type of vertigo is benign positional paroxysmal. It happens when the person moves the position of the head, then dizziness starts. Another type of vertigo is labyrinthitis. It occurs after a bad cold or flu, when a viral infection of the inner ear is present. Another inner ear problem is Meniere's Disease, which causes patients to lose their balance and have ringing ears. It might also affect normal hearing as well.

Dizziness is a feeling of being faint, loss of balance, and when the head feels spinning and moving. Vertigo is a type of giddiness. Even though giddiness and vertigo are often used in an interchangeable manner, they do not mean the same thing. While all vertigo is giddiness, not all giddiness means vertigo. Most vertigo is a result of kinetosis, or motion sickness. Kinetosis is likely to develop in the inner ear and is usually caused by specific motions, such as swinging, rocking, shaking, sudden stopping and starting over and over again. Another cause for vertigo is an unnatural accumulation of calcium particles.

Many times dizziness may be related to a common illness, such as flu, common cold, hypoglycemia, low blood pressure, ear infection, dehydration after vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, etc. As long as patients are under medical care, then they may overcome the situation easily and quickly.

More than 50% of vertigo causes are unknown. Patients should have an accurate medical evaluation in order to determine the cause. However, if a person suffers from symptoms of vertigo when there is a decreased blood flow to certain areas of the brain, this could be related to different illnesses and diseases, including high blood pressure, headaches, sinusitis, hypothyroidism, or it could be from old age or a severe head injury. In addition, environmental problems, toxic effects of alcohol, or the improper dose of medications and drugs can also interfere with coordination by reducing blood flow to the brain, and short term oxygen deprivation certainly will cause either dizziness or vertigo.

Acupuncture can work through various mechanisms in the body, in supporting the body's energy to cope with a difficult situation, as long as a proper diagnosis and medical evaluation has been completed. Dizziness is one of the symptoms of vertigo, but usually vertigo is also associated with vascular type headaches, migraines and nausea. Acupuncture treatment works on the balance of qi in the meridians, and to harmonize and strengthen the internal organs

In order to maximize the treatment results, patients should follow the tight direction of a healthy daily diet limited alcohol, coffee, soda and avoid cane sugar and junk food. Also, proper exercise and an improved lifestyle are an important issue for many patients. We recommend gentle acupuncture treatment. Basic meridian selections are bladder, stomach, small intestine meridian, as well as auricular acupuncture. Try to avoid electrical stimulation and electro acupuncture.