Does the room start spinning when you do certain movements? If so, you have something called vertigo. There are many causes of vertigo, with the most common called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV. In our inner ear, we have semicircular canals which are responsible for telling us where we are in space, give feedback about whether we are moving or something in our environement is moving, and how we are moving. BPPV occurs when some of the calcium carbonate crystals (otoconia) that are normally embedded in gel in the utricle become dislodged and migrate into one or more of the 3 fluid-filled semicircular canals, where they are not supposed to be. When enough of these particles accumulate in one of the canals they interfere with the normal fluid movement that these canals use to sense head motion, causing the inner ear to send false signals to the brain.
BPPV is very treatable by moving the head in certain positions in order to relocate the crystals where they belong. It typically only takes 1-3 sessions, but does depend on how long it has been going on.
If you think you have BPPV and have more questions or want to schedule an appointment to get treatment, contact me either by phone at 602-206-0533 or email at getyourfixpt@gmail.com
