Vertigo and dizziness treatment.
A vertigo chiropractor in Scottsdale who first works out which kind of dizziness you have, because the neck, the inner ear and the rest of the body each need something different. Dr. Tracey Ryder treats the neck-driven and positional kinds, and refers the rest.
- In practice since 2003
- Chiropractic, acupuncture and massage in one plan
- Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale Road
- 4.9 from 75 Google reviews
What it is
What a chiropractor for vertigo assesses first
Dizziness is a symptom with several possible sources, and the first job is sorting them. Cervicogenic dizziness comes from the upper neck: the joints and muscles there send position information to the brain, and when they are stiff or irritated the signal conflicts with what the eyes and inner ear report. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, BPPV, comes from the inner ear, where small crystals have drifted into the wrong canal and spin the room when you roll over or look up. Other causes belong to a physician: inner ear infection, blood pressure, medication, migraine, and rarely something neurological.
Can a chiropractor treat vertigo? The neck-driven kind, yes, and the positional kind with a repositioning maneuver. A chiropractor for dizziness examines the upper neck, tests the positional response, checks the eyes and balance, and asks the questions that flag a cause that needs referral. Vertigo treatment in Scottsdale at Ryder is gentle upper neck work, the maneuver for BPPV when indicated, and acupuncture for the nausea and the residual unsteadiness.
If you are searching for a vertigo chiropractor near me from Old Town, Tempe or south Scottsdale, the office is on Scottsdale Road between McDowell and Thomas. If your dizziness is new, sudden or comes with other symptoms, see the red flags below first.
- How it feels
- Spinning with head movement, unsteadiness, light-headedness with neck stiffness, nausea
- Common causes
- Upper neck dysfunction, BPPV, whiplash, migraine, inner ear conditions that need a physician
- What we use
- Gentle upper neck adjustments, the repositioning maneuver for BPPV, acupuncture
- First visit
- History, neck and positional testing, balance and eye checks, explanation, first treatment when appropriate
What is going on
Why a stiff neck can spin the room
Balance is a vote between three inputs: the eyes, the inner ear, and the position sensors in the joints and muscles of the upper neck. When the upper neck is stiff or has been injured, its sensors report a head position that does not match what the eyes and ears say, and the brain reads the conflict as dizziness or unsteadiness. That is common after whiplash and in people with long-standing neck pain. Restoring motion to the upper neck brings the votes back into agreement.
BPPV is different: tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear drift into a canal where they do not belong and trigger a brief spin when the head moves. A specific sequence of head positions moves them back. The exam at the first visit tells the two apart, and identifies dizziness that belongs to a physician.
Symptoms
What people come in with
The dizziness that responds to care here tends to look like this:
- Spinning when rolling over in bed
- Unsteadiness with neck stiffness
- Dizziness after a crash
- Light-headed on turning the head
- Nausea with the dizziness
- Brief spins that pass in under a minute
- Dizziness with a headache from the neck
- Feeling off balance walking
- Worse looking up
- A history of neck pain
Sudden, constant or severe dizziness with other symptoms needs a physician first.
How we treat it
How we treat vertigo and dizziness
The two kinds we treat, and the referral for the rest.
Chiropractic
Gentle, low-force adjustments to the upper neck joints whose position sensors are sending the wrong signal, and the repositioning maneuver when the exam finds BPPV.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture for vertigo is used here for the nausea, the residual unsteadiness and the neck muscle tension that keeps the upper neck irritated.
Your visit
What a first visit for dizziness is like
During the visit
- How the dizziness feels, what sets it off, how long it lasts, what else comes with it, medications.
- Upper neck exam, positional testing, balance and eye movement checks, and a screen for causes that need referral.
- A plain-language explanation of which kind of dizziness you have.
- First treatment when appropriate: upper neck work, the maneuver, or a referral.
After the visit
- BPPV often settles within a visit or two; neck-driven dizziness changes over a short course.
- Advice on head positions to avoid briefly, and neck movement to do.
- A re-check at every visit, and a referral if the picture changes.
Causes
What commonly causes it
The sources we see, and the ones we refer.
Upper neck dysfunction
Stiff joints sending the wrong position signal.
BPPV
Inner ear crystals in the wrong canal.
Whiplash
The upper neck after a crash.
Migraine
Vestibular migraine, with or without headache.
Inner ear conditions
Infection, Meniere's. Physician first.
Medication and blood pressure
Physician first.
When to come in
When to see us, and when to see a doctor first
Good reasons to book
- Dizziness with neck stiffness or neck pain.
- Brief spinning on rolling over or looking up.
- Dizziness after a crash, once anything serious is ruled out.
- Unsteadiness that a physician has cleared and called mechanical.
- Dizziness with neck-driven headaches.
See a doctor or the ER first if
- Dizziness that is sudden and severe, with vomiting, or that does not stop.
- Dizziness with weakness, numbness, double vision, trouble speaking or a severe headache.
- Hearing loss or ringing that came with the dizziness.
- Fainting, chest pain or a racing heart.
If the exam points to a cause we should not treat, Dr. Tracey will say so and refer you the same day.
Real questions
What people ask about vertigo.
Searched in Scottsdale Can a chiropractor treat vertigo?
Two kinds, yes. Dizziness driven by the upper neck responds to gentle upper neck adjustments, and positional vertigo from the inner ear responds to a repositioning maneuver done in the office. Dizziness from infection, blood pressure, medication or a neurological cause needs a physician, and the first visit is designed to tell them apart.
How do I know if my dizziness is from my neck?
Clues: it comes with neck stiffness or pain, it is more unsteadiness than spinning, it follows neck strain or a crash, and turning the head changes it. Positional vertigo, by contrast, is a brief spin on rolling over or looking up. The exam confirms which.
Is acupuncture for vertigo worth trying?
It helps the nausea and the residual unsteadiness, and it settles the neck muscle tension that keeps the upper neck irritated. It is usually paired with the neck work rather than used alone.
Is neck adjusting safe if I am dizzy?
The techniques used for the upper neck here are gentle and low-force, often instrument-based, and the exam screens for the causes where adjusting is not appropriate. If anything is uncertain, Dr. Tracey refers before treating.
How many visits does vertigo take?
Positional vertigo often settles within one or two. Neck-driven dizziness usually changes over a short course, re-checked at every visit.
( Book )
Book a visit for dizziness
Call the office or request an appointment online. Tell us where it hurts and how long it has been going on, and we will set up the right first visit.
- Monday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Tuesday
- 8:30 AM to 12 PM
- Wednesday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Thursday
- 2 to 6 PM
- Friday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Saturday to Sunday
- Closed
Directions in Google Maps
Prefer to talk? Call (480) 900-5280.