Can an osteopath help with vertigo and dizziness?
Dizziness and vertigo are frightening and common, and the causes range from harmless to serious. An osteopath can help with some of them, and part of the job is recognising the ones that need a doctor.
When is dizziness an emergency?
Call 000 for sudden dizziness or vertigo with any of the following: a severe headache, double vision or loss of vision, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, facial drooping, weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg, difficulty walking, fainting, or chest pain. These can be signs of a stroke or heart problem. Sudden hearing loss with vertigo also needs urgent medical attention.
What's the difference between vertigo and dizziness?
Vertigo is a sensation that you or the room are spinning or moving. Dizziness is broader and includes light-headedness, feeling faint and unsteadiness. The distinction helps point to the cause.
What is the most common cause of vertigo?
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. It's caused by tiny crystals in the inner ear moving into the wrong canal, which sends false signals about head movement. The clinical practice guideline describes brief episodes of spinning triggered by changes in head position, such as rolling over in bed, lying down, looking up or bending forward (Bhattacharyya et al., Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2017). Each episode usually lasts less than a minute.
How is BPPV treated?
With a repositioning manoeuvre, a sequence of head and body positions that moves the crystals back where they belong. A Cochrane review found the Epley manoeuvre is a safe, effective treatment for the most common form of BPPV, although it recurs in about a third of people (Hilton and Pinder, Cochrane, 2014). The guideline recommends repositioning manoeuvres as first-line treatment and advises against routine use of medications or scans for typical BPPV.
Who can treat BPPV?
GPs, vestibular physiotherapists, and other practitioners trained in vestibular assessment can test for BPPV and perform repositioning manoeuvres. If your symptoms suggest BPPV, we'll explain it and refer you to your GP or a vestibular physiotherapist for testing and treatment.
Can the neck cause dizziness?
Yes. Cervicogenic dizziness is a sense of unsteadiness or light-headedness, more than true spinning, that comes with neck pain or stiffness and changes with neck movement or posture. It can follow whiplash or a neck strain. It's a diagnosis made after other causes have been ruled out.
See our post on dizziness and neck pain.
How can an osteopath help with dizziness?
We take a detailed history, screen for signs that need medical assessment, and examine the neck. Where dizziness is neck-related, treatment combines gentle hands-on techniques, neck and upper back exercises, and balance and gaze exercises. Where it isn't, we refer you to the right practitioner.
What other conditions cause vertigo?
Vestibular neuritis, an inflammation of the balance nerve, causes sudden, severe vertigo lasting days. Vestibular migraine causes episodes of dizziness with or without headache. Ménière's disease causes episodes of vertigo with hearing changes, ringing and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Low blood pressure on standing, some medications, anxiety, anaemia and heart rhythm problems cause dizziness without spinning. These need a GP.
Should I do vertigo exercises I found online?
It's best to be assessed first. The right manoeuvre depends on which ear and which canal are affected, and doing the wrong one may not help. Once the cause is confirmed, home exercises are often part of treatment.
What can I do during an episode?
Sit or lie down until it passes, move slowly, and avoid driving or climbing ladders while you're having episodes. With BPPV, getting out of bed slowly and sleeping slightly propped up can reduce triggers until it's treated.
Will vertigo go away by itself?
BPPV often settles over weeks without treatment, but a repositioning manoeuvre usually resolves it much faster. Persistent or recurring dizziness should be assessed.
Does dizziness increase falls risk in older adults?
Yes. Dizziness is a significant contributor to falls, and BPPV is common and under-recognised in older people. It's worth having assessed, not accepted as part of ageing.
Can stress or anxiety cause dizziness?
Yes. Anxiety and rapid breathing can cause light-headedness and unsteadiness, and dizziness itself is unsettling, which can feed the cycle. This is worth discussing with your GP, particularly once other causes have been checked.
Is it safe to have neck treatment if I'm dizzy?
We screen carefully before treating the neck in anyone with dizziness, and avoid neck manipulation where there's any doubt. Gentle techniques and exercise are used for neck-related dizziness.
When should I see a doctor?
See your GP for any new, persistent or recurring dizziness, dizziness with hearing changes or ringing in the ears, dizziness with fainting or palpitations, or dizziness after a head injury.
See our neck pain guide. Book an assessment at our Berwick clinic. A 60-minute initial consultation is $149, with no referral needed and HICAPS on-site.
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Book an initial consultation at RISE Sports & Spinal in Berwick. Clear diagnosis, hands-on treatment, and a plan that actually gets you better.
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