Chiropractic has been proven to help many health conditions, including those that seem completely unrelated to the spine. Meniere’s Disease is one of those conditions. A disorder of the inner ear, Meniere’s Disease affects somewhere between 3 and 5 million people in the United States alone. The good news is, the majority of patients, as much as 95 percent, are able to control their Meniere’s with medical treatments. Chiropractic has been found to be very effective in relieving patients of their symptoms of Meniere’s.

What is Meniere’s Disease?

Meniere’s Disease is a disorder that affects the inner ear, causing ringing of the ears and other uncomfortable symptoms. It affects around 200,000 people every rare, typically adults ranging from 20 to 50 years of age. It does not seem to prefer one gender over the other, affecting both equally.

Symptoms of Meniere’s Disease include:

• Dizziness or vertigo
• Tinnitus or ringing in the ear
• Loss of hearing
• Full feeling in the ear

The dizziness or vertigo may or may not be continuous, and more often than not, a dizziness episode may last around 15 to 20 minutes, then stop for a while and begin again. Sometimes the dizziness can last up to 24 hours, but rarely longer. Vertigo can be severe, causing vomiting and nausea.  Tinnitus, if present,  is often described as a buzzing, hissing, whistling, or roaring sound in the ears.  The patient may experience a loss of hearing, only to have it return. However, the majority of people who have Meniere’s Disease do experience permanent hearing loss to some degree.  Additionally,  this disease can cause feelings of pressure or fullness in the ear that is affected or on the side of the head.  These symptoms usually come and go and the patient may experience one episode but not have another one for a year or more.

Potential causes or triggers

Although there is no exact cause of Meniere’s, scientists believe that it has something to do with high pressure of the fluid in part of the inner ear. Passages and cavities connect throughout the inner ear, also called a labyrinth. The outside of the inner ear is a bone structure, while the interior is a soft membrane. This part of the ear contains tiny sensors that resemble hairs and respond to the movement of fluid, or endolymph, through the area. Potential causes or triggers of Meniere’s disease include:

• Head injury
• Infection to the inner or middle ear
• Allergies
• Alcohol use
• Stress
• Side effects of certain medications
• Smoking
• Stress or anxiety
• Fatigue
• Family history of the disease
• Respiratory infection
• Recent viral illness
• Abnormal immune response
• Migraines
• Spinal subluxations especially of the upper 2 cervical vertebrae

Diagnosis and Treatment of Meniere’s Disease

The doctor who suspects Meniere’s Disease will take the patient’s medical history and conduct a series to tests to determine if the patient has any hearing loss or if their balance is compromised. They will also order a series of blood tests and other lab work in order to rule out other conditions, such as infection.

While there is no cure for Meniere’s Disease, it can be managed fairly well with drugs like anti-nausea medications and motion sickness medications or alternatives like ginger. There are also other procedures and noninvasive therapies that have proven to be beneficial. Rehabilitation, a Meniett device, and hearing aids are all effective treatments. Chiropractic care is also proving to be highly effective and a strong treatment option.

Chiropractic Care for Meniere’s Disease

Chiropractic care in the form of spinal manipulation or adjustments of the upper cervical area has proven to be very helpful with many of the symptoms of Meniere’s. There have been several case studies that show in many cases certain chiropractic techniques can relieve patients’ pain and symptoms. This is usually due to a subluxation in the upper area of the neck. This restricts movement and throws the body out of alignment.

In many cases, patients who pursue chiropractic services for their Meniere’s Disease are eventually able to stop taking the medications that are prescribed to ease the symptoms. They also find that after the chiropractic treatments, they have more energy, are more flexible, have better mobility, and have a much more positive outlook.

Doctors of Chiropractic advise patients who have been diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease to seek out chiropractic treatments. They typically consist of chiropractic adjustments and the patient can walk out when they are finished. These treatments are effective and safe but drug-free and non-invasive. In most cases, it is a preferred way to manage the symptoms and the disease itself.

Chiropractic Cured My Vertigo!

“I had several really bad episodes of vertigo and if you have ever had Vertigo you know how horrible and debilitating it can be. I was absolutely miserable. I had seen and tried numerous doctors and they all gave me the same you exercises to do. These exercises actually made the vertigo worse and made me deathly sick. Nothing was working to improve my condition. I shared with one of my friends what I was going through and she, in turn, shared with me about her daughter’s vertigo experience and how Dr Hoch adjusted her and she felt better immediately. This was something new! I wasn’t sure how a chiropractic adjustment was going to help my vertigo, but at this point I would have tied almost anything to make the dizziness go away. I called Dr. Hoch and she got me in immediately. I was so sick that I couldn’t even turn my head during the exam, or even lay down, but Dr. Hoch was great!   She knew exactly what to do and she was able to adjust me. I couldn’t believe it – I felt 100 % better immediately. Dr. Hoch warned me that even though I felt so good, that it’s likely that the vertigo will return and that it will take more adjustments and time to keep it at bay long term. I remember driving home and calling my friend because I was so excited and thanked her over and over again for referring me to Dr Hoch.   This was the break thru that I was looking for. I had a couple of adjustments that week and the following couple of weeks and soon the vertigo was completely gone   Thank you Dr. Hoch!!!!”

~M.E.

If you or a loved one suffer from this condition, consider chiropractic. Our Doctor of Chiropractic would love to help. Simply give us a call and we’ll see if chiropractic is the right approach for you.

Dr. Hoch (pronounced Hoke), is a 1988 Graduate of Peotone High School and a 1990 Graduate of Joliet Junior College. She Received both her B.S. in Human Biology (1991) and her Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) (1993) from The National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, IL. She also received her graduate and post-graduate certifications in Acupuncture from NCC. This article is copyrighted and may not be copied or duplicated in any manner including printed or electronic media, regardless of whether for a fee or gratis without the prior written permission of Dr. Hoch.