Vertigo Treatment Oakville

How Is Vertigo Treated at Our Oakville Clinic?

Your visit starts with an assessment to determine whether your symptoms fit BPPV or Cervicogenic Vertigo (Vertigo coming from the neck). The first 3 steps are the same in most patients. The final step of the Epley’s manoeuvre or a cervical spine adjustment is where they differ with most patients. Some BPPV get a cervical spine adjustment at our clinic, depending on their presentation of vertigo!

Step 1: Suction IFC and Heat for Neck Tension

Step 2: Shockwave Therapy for Accompanying Muscle Tightness

Step 3: Targeted Soft-Tissue Treatment with ART or Graston

Step 4A: Treatment Based on Your Assessment

Step 4B: Cervicogenic Vertigo Treatment

Dizziness Accompanied by Jaw Pain or Clenching

If you also experience jaw pain, clicking, clenching or difficulty opening your mouth, we assess those symptoms alongside your neck concerns. Having jaw symptoms and dizziness together does not establish that the jaw is causing the dizziness. For details about our approach to jaw problems, visit our TMJ and jaw pain treatment in Oakville page.

What is BPPV Vertigo?

Vertigo is the sensation that you are spinning, or that the world is spinning around you. Dizziness refers to lightheadedness, faintness and unsteadiness. BPPV stands for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.

Our Oakville Vertigo treatment team say that most vertigo patients coming into our clinic have BPPV. As the name suggests, this condition is not caused by any scary central nervous system problems – it is benign in nature.

The position of the head and body can trigger these vertigo attacks and BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo. Our Oakville Chiropractors use a combination of complex positions, manual adjustments, at home advice and IFC therapy to help treat BPPV.

Dr. Jenn and Dr. Steve see amazing results in less then 5 visits with most patients. If your vertigo started after a head trauma please see our treatment for concussions including acupuncture.

Vertigo Treatment FAQs

I Get Dizzy When I Roll Over in Bed. Could It Be BPPV?

Yes. Brief episodes of spinning triggered by rolling over in bed, lying back, looking upward or changing head position are classic symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). The spinning usually lasts for seconds rather than continuously.

Doctor Steve assesses the pattern of dizziness and uses positional testing when BPPV is suspected. Not every case of dizziness with movement is BPPV, so identifying the cause before performing a repositioning manoeuvre is important.

Who Performs the Epley Manoeuvre in Oakville?

Our Oakville chiropractors assess and treat BPPV using positional testing and canalith repositioning techniques such as the Epley manoeuvre when appropriate. The Epley manoeuvre moves the head through a specific sequence of positions designed to guide displaced inner-ear crystals out of the affected semicircular canal.

The first step is determining whether the dizziness is actually BPPV and which ear and canal are involved.

How Much Does a Vertigo or BPPV Appointment Cost in Oakville?

Chiropractic appointments at Nottinghill Family Wellness Centre are $75. The appointment includes the assessment required to determine whether the symptoms are consistent with BPPV, cervicogenic dizziness or another cause of vertigo.

When BPPV is identified, positional treatment such as the Epley manoeuvre can be performed when appropriate. We also offer direct insurance billing when permitted by the patient’s extended health plan.

How Do You Test for BPPV?

One of the primary tests for posterior-canal BPPV is the Dix-Hallpike test. The patient’s head and body are moved into a specific position while the clinician watches the eyes for a characteristic movement called nystagmus and asks about the sensation of spinning.

If the history sounds like BPPV but the Dix-Hallpike test does not produce the expected findings, other positional testing can be used to determine whether another semicircular canal is involved. This is consistent with BPPV clinical guidelines. BPPV Clinical Practice Guidelines

Can I Do the Epley Manoeuvre Myself at Home?

Doctor Steve generally prefers that patients have the cause and side of their vertigo assessed first rather than guessing with an Epley manoeuvre from a video. The correct repositioning manoeuvre depends on which ear and semicircular canal are involved, and not every case of positional dizziness is BPPV.

Once BPPV has been properly identified, some patients can be shown an appropriate home manoeuvre if symptoms recur. Clinical guidelines recognize both clinician-performed and selected self-administered repositioning approaches. AAO-HNS

How Long Does BPPV Last After the Epley Manoeuvre?

The intense spinning caused by BPPV can improve quickly after successful repositioning, but some patients continue to feel mildly dizzy, sensitive to movement or slightly unsteady afterward. These residual symptoms can gradually settle over several days and sometimes a few weeks.

If significant spinning continues, symptoms return, or the pattern of dizziness changes, the patient should be reassessed rather than assuming the same ear or canal is still involved. BPPV Practice Guidelines

Can BPPV Come Back?

Yes. BPPV can recur even after successful treatment. If the spinning returns when rolling over in bed, looking upward or changing head position, another assessment can determine whether the crystals have moved again and whether the same or a different canal is involved.

Because recurrent dizziness is not always caused by the same problem, Doctor Steve prefers to confirm the presentation rather than automatically repeating the same manoeuvre.

Can Neck Problems Cause Dizziness?

Neck pain and stiffness can sometimes occur along with dizziness, particularly following whiplash, concussion or another neck injury. This is commonly described as cervicogenic dizziness.

Doctor Steve assesses the cervical spine as well as the pattern of dizziness when symptoms occur with neck movement or neck pain. Inner-ear, neurological and other causes of dizziness still need to be considered rather than assuming that every case is coming from the neck.

Can a Car Accident or Concussion Cause BPPV or Vertigo?

Yes. Head trauma can trigger BPPV by displacing the calcium crystals involved in the inner-ear balance system. Car accidents and concussions can also cause other forms of dizziness and balance disturbance, so the cause should be assessed rather than assuming every post-accident dizzy spell is BPPV.

Patients experiencing dizziness after a head or neck injury should mention when the symptoms began, what movements trigger them and whether there are accompanying headaches, neck pain, vision changes or balance problems.

What Is Vestibular Rehabilitation?

Vestibular rehabilitation is a broader approach used for dizziness, imbalance and some vestibular disorders. Depending on the condition, it can include gaze-stabilization exercises, balance training, habituation exercises and specific repositioning manoeuvre.

For straightforward posterior-canal BPPV, a canalith repositioning procedure such as the Epley manoeuvre is the primary treatment. Persistent imbalance or dizziness that is not explained by BPPV may require additional vestibular assessment or rehabilitation. AAO-HNS

What If My Dizziness Is Not BPPV?

Not all dizziness and vertigo are caused by displaced inner-ear crystals. Other possibilities include vestibular neuritis, Ménière’s disease, migraine-associated dizziness, blood-pressure changes, medication effects, cervical problems and neurological conditions.

If Doctor Steve’s examination does not fit the typical pattern of BPPV or another condition treated at our clinic, further medical assessment or referral will be recommended.

When Should Vertigo or Dizziness Be Treated as an Emergency?

New dizziness accompanied by symptoms such as one-sided weakness or numbness, difficulty speaking, double vision, a sudden severe headache, fainting, new severe difficulty walking or other sudden neurological changes requires urgent medical assessment rather than routine vertigo treatment.