6 minute read
VERTIGO RELIEF
If you’ve never experienced extreme dizziness or vertigo, it can be hard to understand just how debilitating it can be. Many patients with this issue tell me they would rather have back pain or headaches or some other problem instead, since it is so draining to feel disoriented in space. With vertigo, the most basic daily tasks often become difficult, especially activities such as driving or anything else that requires head movement.
Vertigo is a specific kind of dizziness where a person feels as though she (or the world around her) is in motion. Triggers include certain medications, inflammation of the inner ear nerves, viral infections or abnormal fluid pressure in the inner ear. The most common type of vertigo is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or BPPV, which is thought to be caused by displaced particles in the inner ear canals. People with BPPV are often taught to perform a version of the “Epley Maneuver” to move these particles into a better position.
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Hidden Cause
While medications and the Epley Maneuver can be extremely helpful, vertigo is often not resolved by just these treatments alone. I believe that many people continue to experience vertigo symptoms because an important cause is ignored. At our clinic, we help to improve or resolve vertigo for many patients by looking beyond the inner ear to another source—the nerve endings that create position sense in the body.
A patient I’ll refer to as Dorothy came to my office for treatment with low back and neck pain. She did not realize that we treat vertigo, but during the history and examination on her first visit, she revealed that she had been suffering for months with dizziness. She had been diagnosed with BPPV but could not tolerate the medication she was prescribed, and while the Epley Maneuver helped somewhat, she still had significant problems.
While we successfully treated her for the other complaints, we also used therapies focused on removing restriction of the connective tissue in her upper neck, jaw muscles, and muscles at the base of the skull. This fibrous connective tissue is called fascia, and in Dorothy’s case it responded to treatment. She reported a 60% improvement in her vertigo after one session, and within a few more visits, said her vertigo symptoms were completely gone.
Position Sense
The reason that fascia release treatments were able to relieve Dorothy’s vertigo is due to the most important sense in our bodies— proprioception. This is a medical term for position sense, which is how we know where all the parts of the body are in space. The millions of nerve endings that create position sense are found all through our bodies, embedded in the fascia. They transmit the information which makes all coordinated movement possible, along with upright posture and muscular balance. In the case of vertigo, restriction in the fascia of the jaw, upper neck or skull can cause a distortion in position sense that could trigger the disorienting sensations of spinning motion and loss of balance.
At our office, we release restrictions in fascia using a combination of therapies that involve gentle tissue compression, stretching, and pulsed microcurrent or low-level laser. Restoring normal flexibility and movement to fascia helps to restore normal position sense. Most of our vertigo patients experience significant relief from these fascia treatments, even when typical treatment methods have failed.
When vertigo symptoms are extreme or lasting, it’s important to be evaluated first by a physician who specializes in this area. If vertigo or dizziness occurs with other symptoms such as blurred vision, rapid heartrate or mental confusion, urgent medical evaluation is necessary. However, most cases of vertigo don’t have serious underlying conditions, and there is a common cause that is often overlooked. Exploring fascia release therapy with a practitioner experienced in treatment of vertigo could be the best option for lasting relief.
Our evening programs have moved online. You are invited to attend a Zoom webinar all about the topic of vertigo on August 2, 6:30 p.m. You will learn in-depth how we evaluate and treat vertigo in our clinic. You will also find out more about fascia, why it is important and how fascia problems are involved with vertigo. Dr. Eric Winder will discuss case examples and hold a Q&A session following the presentation. Visit GentleBay.com to register for the webinar. Dr. Eric Winder has 24 years in practice with a focus on pain relief and restoration of alignment and motion through fascia release therapies, without forceful manipulation. For more information, visit GentleBay.com.
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Composting Made Easy
Turn Food Waste into ‘Black Gold’
Just 3 percent of uneaten food in the U.S. is composted, reported the Natural Resources Defense Council in 2012. The remaining food scraps rotting in landfills account for 23 percent of U.S. methane emissions, a greenhouse gas at least 25 times more powerful than carbon monoxide in global warming. With minimal planning and effort, however, food scraps can be recycled through composting into an organic, highnutrient fertilizer.
Compost is called “black gold” for its high value in gardening, but it’s simply decayed organic material. Consider all the organic materials that fall to the forest floor, break down and return to the earth. This process can be easily recreated at home.
To start composting, get a couple of containers.
n A covered kitchen bucket.
Beautiful containers abound, but an old pan will work. Countertop positioning makes it easy to toss in kitchen scraps, but it could also be placed under the sink or in the freezer. A review of several options can be found at
TheSpruceEats.com. n A yard bin or pile. Due to critters and pets, a lid is recommended.
Gardening stores sell compost bins, but they can be made using instructions at Homesteading.com. Bins in place, start collecting and piling. Organic materials will break down—it’s just a matter of time. The pile should consist of yard waste (grass clippings, plant scraps, small sticks) and kitchen waste (peels, cores, eggshells, tea leaves, coffee grounds, bread). Do not include invasive weeds, meat, bones, dairy products, oils or pet excrement.
The basic recipe is a mix of nitrogen-rich/green materials (food waste, grass clippings, plant trimmings) and carbon-rich/brown materials (dried leaves, sticks, shredded newspaper or cardboard). Shoot for 25 percent green materials.
An unbalanced pile can be amended.
n If it’s wet, moldy or stinky, add more brown materials and stir with a pitchfork to increase oxygen flow and loosen the pile. n A pile that is too dry will take longer to break down. Add kitchen scraps, green grass clippings or sprinkle with water to encourage microbial activity.
A balanced pile that is stirred or turned weekly will decay the fastest. Seeing worms and other soil organisms in the pile is a good sign that the process is working.
Finished compost looks like dark, rich soil. Spread it onto the garden in the spring. Scoop some into the holes for new plants. Side dress plants all season.
Compost releases nutrients gradually, improves soil condition and helps retain water. Plants thrive with better root systems. Compost gardeners reap bountiful harvests. Virtual Gatherings Continue
Sunday at 11 am
via FaceBook www.facebook.com/CSLCulturalCoast or YouTube Live Our Channel is CSL Cultural Coast Thursday Meditation
6:30 pm via Zoom*
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