Vertigo
“My doctor told me that things would settle down eventually. They did not.”
Previously I had written on dizziness as it relates to eye reflexes and blood pressure. This case will briefly highlight the difference between central vertigo and peripheral vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo is the most common go-to set of diagnoses when someone starts spinning: Meniere’s Disease, otitis media, labrynthitis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, viral infection or maybe acoustic neuroma. Peripheral refers to the inner ear region (on the periphery of the head).
Central vertigo would probably be the most likely cause of vertigo for the average person, yet, ironically, the most commonly overlooked. Central refers to neurological disruption in the centre line: brain, brainstem and spine. These 3 things are the functional units which come under the most strain on a day to day basis because of the way we stress and hold our posture. Balance and equilibrium is perceived at the levels of cerebellum and brainstem and they can receive “snowy TV” disturbance from both ends – the brain and eyes above, or spine and body below.
Central vertigo can also cover the third area of vertigo, which relates to systemic problems like blood pressure, blood sugar levels, heart conditions, polypharmacy or psychiatric issues.
Within the inner ear there are various bits and pieces that keep us on the level: Cochlea, semicircular canals and otolithic organs. The cochlea interprets sounds while the canals and otolithic organs are responsible for balance and awareness of position. The otolithic organs detect how fast or slow you’re moving in the vertical and horizontal planes, while the semicircular canals detect angular acceleration with the fluid that moves inside them. In a nanosecond, your brain can work out the angular acceleration of your head and where you are in the world with equations like this, which used to take me hours in engineering school. The brain’s depth of instantaneous computational powers is truly amazing.
What is also truly amazing is the functional design of the semicircular canals that report this information back to the brain in order for these calculations to be performed. There are 3 canals, almost precisely perpendicular to each other in each plane (x, y and z), and each canal detects angular acceleration in its plane. The wisdom of the body didn’t create these haphazardly and place them at random angles, hoping for the best so you don’t fall over. As with most things in nature, there was intent in creation. Read more
Ghandi visits the chiropractor!
And why wouldn’t Ghandi have high blood pressure when you think about it, really? Half naked in toga-like getup, hungry, facing thousands of British soldiers without a weapon. Of course his nervous system is going to have issues…
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
“My leg pain has disappeared, I am now toilet trained well – to the extent that I can almost go every day now – my migraines are not as frequent, my blood pressure is normal (I had that tested recently), I sleep like a baby most nights, my concentration is a lot better and motivation has improved.”
Irritable Bowel Syndrome has in many instances become a hand-wave diagnosis due to its complex nature and myriad causes. IBS can have elements of constipation and diarrhoea, or alternation between the two.
When I first heard that psychological counselling was a good treatment for IBS, I was intrigued by the “gut-brain axis”; what conclusions to draw from so many people having constipation or diarrhoea as a side issue with their other neurological complaints, and why adjusting the spine helped.
“Gut decisions” probably involve the enteric (bowel) nervous system to some degree, and explains why when you’re nervous you get “butterflies”. IBS is believed to stem from miscommunication between the central (brain) and enteric nervous systems. More specifically, an inhibition of the corticolimbic system, which means emotional dysregulation. There may be other intraluminal factors like abnormal gut flora and the popular gluten intolerance, but these probably tie back into dysregulation of the neuro-immune connection, most likely broken down by the primary cause of psychosocial stress.
Changes in mood, immune and gut function are among the first things to alter in the breakdown of nervous system function. In IBS patients, brain imaging shows that areas most activated include thalamus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, and brainstem (upper spine). Looking at the diagram below, the green areas represent the parts of the automatic nervous system which attempt to maintain harmony in the body. The red arrows show how these parts control gut function and, interestingly, skin (see Case of the Month: Psoriasis). One of chiropractic’s main roles is to normalise the green bits. This is done by analysing the spine via neurological exam, assessing the autonomic nervous system with technology, and providing correct stimulation by way of adjustment.
I remember one instance where a woman received her first upper cervical correction after many months of constipation, and later that night at a dinner function, had to sit with her legs crossed trying to hold in the build up that finally knocked at the door. I’m sure the faces were a curious expression of pleasure and pain. Read more