Question
QUESTION: I have had chronic/24-7 dizzy for 6 months now (have had recurring episodes over a period of 28 yrs) Been to every spec known to man! Nothing found!  Now finally - a chiropractor here has done xrays of my neck and upper spine and found much out of whack!  My C1 has been chronically out for who knows how long (had 3 car accidents in the '70's)  Top of spine should bend back and mine tips forward. He says FOR SURE this has probably caused the bulk of my dizziness!  The dizzy has been worse since starting adjustments about 10 days ago and he says this is probably expected as this has been "out" for a long long time and lots of inflammation up there.  My naturopath physician agrees this is normal to have it get worse in the beginning like this.  Just looking for your opinion!  Thanks

ANSWER: Given the information you provided I would agree with your chiropractor and naturopath. C1 is one of the most common nerves to cause or contribute to dizziness. It is not uncommon for symptoms to be worse or more acute during the healing process. The easiest way to describe it is a car getting stuck in the mud or the snow - you have to back out the same way you went in often still feeling problems for a bit. What I will say is to keep your chiropractor informed of your progress and as much as it must terrible to live with dizziness like that, remember that you are battling a 28 year old problem that will not likely disappear overnight. I wish you the best of luck and keep up the good work, its sounds like you have found the cause of your problem, now it is time to let the body do what it does best...heal.

Dr. Russ

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again Dr Russ.  I am just wondering if you have an opinion on how long this could take as you (and my chiropractor) both say ....."It is not uncommon for symptoms to be worse or more acute during the healing process".  How much time can the healing process take?  He says that the 3-4 weeks I've been getting adjusted is not a long time (even tho it feels like it to me since I'm the one experiencing the dizzy/vertigo).  Just wondering also if you think that Reike treatments would be of any help for the dizziness & inflamation?? Thank you again for your time and help.   Deanne

Answer
Without seeing you myself it is difficult to say how long it might take. In some people the healing process can take months if not years. The good news is that symptoms are typically gone before then. Not sure about Reike, but I might consider acupunture as well.

Dr. Russ