When patients present with symptoms of vertigo and/or dizziness it is essential that a thorough evaluation be performed to locate the cause. There are a number of possible reasons that a patient develops these conditions. The most common cause of true vertigo (spinning) is BPPV, also know as benign positional paroxysmal vertigo. This condition occurs when you develop debris in the canals of your inner ear. These canals are designed to help orient you and give your body feedback about movement. When the debris is lodged within these canals your brain begins to receive mixed signals, leading to disorientation. With this condition changes in head position may induce the vertigo, and the vertigo will be severe in nature. Another common cause of vertigo is cervicogenic vertigo. This vertigo results from poor proprioceptive feedback from your cervical spine (neck). When you have joins in the spine that become misaligned it can lead to dysfunction of your sensory systems and disorientation. The third most common cause I see of vertigo/dizziness in my office is due to cerebellar degeneration. Your balance center called the vestibulocerebellar system is heavily dependent on the health of your cerebellum. The cerebellum is located at the base of the skull. When the cerebellum degenerates you may suffer signs of disorientation, poor balance, and an ataxic gait (walking like you are drunk when you are not). These are a few of the most common presentations of vertigo/dizziness we see in our office. It is important when suffering form vertigo that you are thoroughly examined by a practitioner skilled in this area. Dr. Huffman's advanced neurologic studies give him the expertise to determine what is the cause of your vertigo and how to correct it. Dr. Huffman also uses the Real Eyes Visual Monitoring System, which enables him to evaluate you even more accurately for nystagmus (a byproduct of vertigo). If you are suffering from dizziness or vertigo call our office now to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Huffman. 763-398-7770.
