Dizziness, Balance Problems in Humans, Fuzzy Foggy Dizzy Head

Patients with dizziness and balance problems may be assisted by exercises to improve visual, vestibular and cerebellar function.

Having a head that feels dizzy, foggy or unclear and being unsteady or having balance problems are some of the most common complaints. A chiropractor with post grad Functional neurology is able to examine why this is so from the point of view of the nervous system and brain function. The examination is very detailed but non-invasive and the care does not involve the use of drugs or surgery. The objective is to determine where the system is failing, the likely cause for the failure and determine what can be done to help improve the situation.

The ability to maintain balance depends on multiple sources of information to the brain. The brain receives input from the eyes, the muscles and joints, and the vestibular organs in the inner ears. The information from these sources are sent as nerve impulses from special nerve endings or sensory receptors to your brain.

The Vestibular System role in human balance:

Some balance problems and dizziness can be caused by problems in a part of the nervous system called the Vestibular System.  A group of nerve cells known as the vestibular nucleus receives information about the space around you from sensory receptors from the eyes and eye muscles, the balance organ of the inner ear and from joints and muscles. Information from the joints and muscles of the neck, spine area and ankles is important.  For proper balance and spatial awareness the Vestibular System needs to receive adequate information from all of the areas and sensory receptors including the light sensitive receptors of the eyes, the pressure and stretch proprioceptors of the muscles and joints, the sensory receptors of the canals and vestibular apparatus of the middle ear – balance, angle, position information.

Information from the vestibular system and cerebellum is fed to an area of the brain important for sensory or spatial awareness (where you relatively are in space). The vestibular system and cerebellum are intimately related and control many important things that impact balance, these include a person’s co-ordination, the stabilising muscles of the spine, posture, eye tracking movements and the muscles of the pelvic floor (affecting bowel and bladder function). The vestibular system and cerebellum can also influence the autonomic nervous system, which controls “autonomic” functions which we do not need to think about – like digestion, heart function, breathing, sweating etc. Hence people with dysfunction of these areas may have a dysfunction of their balance system without realising it. The nervous system activity needs to be balanced in order to allow optimal functioning of the body.

Patients with dizziness and balance problems may be assisted by exercises to improve visual, vestibular and cerebellar function. Greensborough family Chiropractic can be contacted at 03 9432 4644.