A Look At Meniere's Disease And How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Posted on: 2 August 2016

If you've been diagnosed with Meniere's disease, you may be frustrated at the lack of effective treatments offered by the mainstream medical community. The feelings of dizziness, ringing in your ears, and pressure in your ears can make it hard to get through everyday tasks, let alone enjoy yourself. Pain relievers and other prescription medications work for some patients, but if they're not working for you, it's time to explore another option: visiting the chiropractor.

What causes Meniere's disease?

To understand why chiropractic care is useful for treating this disease, you must first understand what causes it. In many cases, the symptoms arise due to pressure on the brainstem, which is the part of the brain that regulates body functions like your balance and hearing. This pressure on the brainstem is often caused by cervical vertebrae, which are the vertebrae in your neck. When they're out of alignment, they may press directly on the brainstem. Or, they may place pressure on surrounding soft tissues, causing those tissues to swell and press on your brainstem.

How do chiropractors treat Meniere's disease?

Since chiropractors are experts at adjusting the spine, they can put your cervical vertebrae back into alignment. This will alleviate pressure on the brainstem and help ease your symptoms of Meniere's disease. Note that this usually does not happen overnight. If your vertebrae have been out of alignment for a while, the swelling in surrounding tissues may linger after your adjustment, so you'll still have some symptoms.

There's also a tendency for the vertebrae to move back out of place, at least initially, which means your symptoms may subside after your adjustment but then sneak up again if you don't get readjusted. So, most patients need more than one adjustment in order to effectively treat Meniere's disease. You chiropractor will let you know how often you need to be adjusted, based on the severity of your misalignment and your overall health. Thankfully, the adjustments are not painful or uncomfortable. You may hear a popping noise similar to the sound of cracking your knuckles, but you won't be in pain before or after your adjustment.

In addition to adjusting your spine, your chiropractor may also recommend stretches or cold therapy (applying ice) to help alleviate swelling in the tissues near your brainstem.

To learn more about treating Meniere's disease, speak with your chiropractor. He or she can evaluate your case and also discuss other safe and natural methods to alleviate symptoms like dizziness and pressure changes.

For more information, contact Charles C Gerleman Chiropractic Clinic or a similar location.

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