Massage for Vertigo

/ Pathology / By

Vertigo – The essence of being dizzy.

Also includes:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Meniere’s

Acute Vestibular Neuropathy

Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency

Atlantoaxial instability

Migraines

Vertigo needs to be checked by a doctor to rule out what kind of Vertigo it is.  It can often be a symptom of more serious nervous system problems.

Rule out Stroke and other serious conditions first.

Symptoms:

The room spins or the person may be spinning.

Can also feel like an earthquake.

Inability to stand up!

Vomiting may result.

Tinnitus (ringing of the ears) may accompany this.

Blurry Vision

Causes:massageandvertigo

  • Viruses
  • Infection
  • Inflammation
  • Inner Ear Problems
  • Calcium Crystals in the Ear
  • Spinal misalignment particularly C1
  • Nerve Compression in neck, face
  • Injury to the neck or brain
  • Brain tumors

Massage Treatment:

Test first:  vertebral artery test (see this article: The Risks of Vascular Compression in Soft-Tissue Therapy By Whitney Lowe, LMT Massage Today)

Caution advised!  Massage can make vertigo worse and there is nothing worse than having your dizziness made worse!

Dizziness can be triggered by changing the position of the head and neck or getting up and down off the massage table or just getting up from sitting.

Epley maneuver.  Caution! This maneuver can actually cause MORE dizziness and an extreme feeling of falling – not just falling to the ground but falling from a tall building.

Possible Muscles involved: Sternocleidoastoid (SCM), Anterior Neck

 Resources:

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: It Will Make Your Head Spin! pathology perspectives By Ruth Werner  Massage and Bodywork Magazine. July/Aug 2010
The Risks of Vascular Compression in Soft-Tissue Therapy By Whitney Lowe, LMT Massage Today)

Atlantoaxial instability or vertebrobasilar insufficiency article by Paul Ingram with great diagrams!

Personal Note: Vertigo is why I created this website and my many others.  It has been such an incapacitating ordeal making it difficult to give massage at many times.  I have tried just about everything under the sun and still it persists and comes and goes.