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Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome

Meniere’s Disease or Chiari malformation?

Meniere’s Disease or Chiari malformation – which is it?

Meniere's Disease or Chiari malformation? This image shows chiari malformation under the brain

In my books I cover at length the idiopathic nature of MD and the fact that ‘Meniere’s’ is simply a label for a set of symptoms, the root cause of which can vary from person to person. By identifying the root cause or causes of your Meniere’s disease symptoms in your individual case and correcting or eliminating these causes, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the symptoms themselves.

I recently received an email from the husband of a long term Meniere’s sufferer looking for answers. His wife had recently had a drop attack and ended up in hospital where she was diagnosed with ‘Type 1 Chiari Malformation’.

Study shows Chiari patients have “Meniere’s like syndrome”

In a four year study of 364 Chiari patients (http://asap.org/index.php/medical-articles/four-year-study-of-chiari-i-malformation/) it was found that 74% patients had “Meniere’s like syndrome “: dizziness, disequilibrium pressure in ears, tinnitus, decreased hearing, true vertigo and nystagmus.

This would perhaps be of particular interest to Meniere’s sufferers who also suffer from Migraines as Chiari often results in headaches.

Muskuloskeletal imbalances in the back, neck or jaw are commonly found root causes of Meniere’s symptoms. After correction or treatment in most cases symptoms are reduced or eliminated altogether. The reason that in some cases symptoms are not 100% eliminated may be that there is more than one root cause present in addition to long term damage to hearing nerves.

As I point out in The Need for Balance and back up with scientific medical data, statistics and the experiences of sufferers, there may be more than one cause in each individual case. So it is important to cover all possibilities and deal with them accordingly.

The connection to Meniere’s and mukuloskeletal imbalances such as in the spine is often dismissed by mainstream medicine however the data proves otherwise. In the four year study of Chiari it was found that, in all 364 patients the most common and reliable finding was compression of the CSF spaces posterior and lateral the cerebellum.

Chiari patients are often not aware of the problem. Meniere’s sufferers are often not aware they have neck or spine issues. When chiropractic manipulation is not successful in reducing Meniere’s symptoms in those aware of neck problems, it may be prudent to get checked for Chiari.

According to Mayo clinic Chiari malformation type I occurs when the section of your skull containing a part of your brain (cerebellum) is too small or is deformed, thus putting pressure on and crowding your brain. The lower part, or tonsils, of the cerebellum are displaced into your upper spinal canal.

Dr. Thomas Milhorat, Professor and Chairman of Neurosurgery University of NY, Brooklyn explains things slightly differently:

“CSF [Cerebrospinal fluid] that is compressed has to go somewhere. In man, under normal conditions, we secrete spinal fluid. We can increase that secretion but we cannot decrease it. It happens at .37 cc every minute of our lives. When we’re upright, sleeping, running, resting. We produce 500 cc a day. It’s formed in the ventricles, circulates down through the 3rd ventricle into the aqueduct of Sylvius, into the 4th ventricle. It exits and then it surrounds all the structures of the nervous system. There is a watery bath between brain, spinal cord, cerebellum and the inner table of the skull. In Chiari patients there is reduced volume. Where does it go? Some of it is distributed up into the head, squeezed up and some is squeezed down and this may very well contribute to the formation of SM in some patients. We believe this displacement of spinal fluid into the cranial cavity may be a suitable explanation for the typical Chiari Symptoms. Distribution of CSF out of the posterior fossa into the semi-circular canals can produce in some a sea-sickness syndrome- dizziness, disequilibrium, pressure in the ears, tinnitus, and so forth. It appears to all begin with a too small posterior fossa that compresses the spinal fluid at the back of the head.

Direct bony pressure can also produce complaints. If the compression of the skull is too great, if the retroflexed odontoid (basilar impression) is too great you can have direct compression of cranial nerves or even brainstem. That can produce problems with swallowing, sleep apnea, hoarseness, tremors, and palpitations. Symptoms of Chiari I appear to be due to two basic phenomena that share in common a small back of the skull, a bony dysplagia of the base of the skull and cervical-medullary junction. These are increase of CSF pressure both in the head and in the spinal canal and direct compression of nervous structures. It is not a malformation of the brain itself.”

You can take three things from this article. One, that Chiari should be on your list of possible root causes to investigate. Two, musculoskeletal imbalances are a very real possibility for you to consider.

It would seem Chiari malformation is quite rare and there are many other reasons you may be suffering the symptoms of Meniere’s. That said it may be worth getting checked for this possibility.

Video: What are the symptoms of Chiari Malformation?


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Chiropractics for Meniere’s disease
Meniere’s disease – Cervical Spine and TMJ
Mike’s Meniere’s Story

By Mike Spencer

Founder of Menieres-Help.Com.

Researcher and author of Managing Meniere’s Disease and The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Causes of Meniere’s

Help other Meniere’s sufferers. Do you have experience with neck/spine issues and Meniere’s or Chiari? Tell us all about it in the comment boxes below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

References/Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30610307/

Categories
General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes

Meniere’s disease – Cervical Spine and TMJ

Meniere’s disease,  Cervical Spine and TMJ – How are they connected?

Misalignment in the cervical spine, neck and jaw (TMJ) have all been linked to the symptoms of Meniere’s disease.

Many people who have had chiropractic readjustments and manipulation of the cervical spine have freed themselves of Meniere’s symptoms, notably C1 through C6.

The most commonly found misalignment in the neck is C1 in sufferers of vertigo, which it has slipped out of place. This is usually due to trauma of some kid such as whiplash or sudden jerk like movement.

This can go years without being detected, and years before causing disturbances with equilibrium and the ear.

Treatment for TMJ/TMD has also been successful in stopping Meniere’s disease symptoms in some people. Such testimonials are common in emails to Meniere’s Help. Neither cause is recognized by ENTs and GPs in general but the numbers speak for themselves. When researched, the science also backs this up.

This message was posted in a Meniere’s group on Facebook recently (May 2017) regarding TMJ and Meniere’s:

“Hey y’all, just a treatment update. I’ve been in treatment for TMJD with Dr. Foskin and Adelina in Oklahoma City since November 2016 and I’ve been symptom free since December 2016. I just had a check up this week and it looks like my jaw is stabilizing!

Please, please, please get an assessment to rule out TMJD!!! I would have never thought I had it, but I did! An amazing thing about this last visit, when I was first assessed, I had a tremendous amount of neck and shoulder pain. I had Dr Foskin do the same assessment and the pain is gone! I also used to have a lot of headaches and they are gone too! If you are having random neck and shoulder pain, this is a telltale sign of TMJD.  Good luck to you all in your journey to health!”

Video: Meniere’s disease – TMJ and the Spine

Have you had your neck, back and jaw checked for irregularities?

You can read more information on links to Meniere’s symptoms and the neck and spine on this page: Chiropractics for Meniere’s disease

On the page linked to above you will read in one section about the work of Doctor Michael Burcon and his peer reviewed paper in 2010 after performing a study on 139 patients. In March 2017 a press release was published and circulated on social media with the headlines “

Video: Dizziness and TMJ Is There a Neck Connection?

“After 155 Years, the Cause of Meniere’s Disease has Finally Been Discovered?”

The headline is rather misleading in that yes, although neck and spinal issues are very significant in a many Meniere’s cases, it cannot be claimed to be “THE” definitive cause, just as nothing else can be claimed to be the outright definitive cause.

The reasons for this are simple, there are several possible causes and possibly more than one cause in each individual case. This is discussed at great length, how to find your own particular cause(s) and how to eliminate them from your life (therefore eliminating Meniere’s from your life) in the book, The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Causes of Menieres.

The significance of this press release is that Doctor Burcon’s work has now extended to 300 patients over 6 years.

“Six years of treatment on 300 patients demonstrated a 97% improvement in the intensity and duration of vertigo attacks,” Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research.

The paper was actually released in 2016 and is discussed in The Need for Balance. Dr Burcon explained: “Seven hundred and twenty one consecutive patients diagnosed with Meniere’s disease have entered my clinic, most denying a history of a head/neck injury,” .

In the press release, The Journal went on to state: “Most patients are diagnosed with Meniere’s in middle age. That’s because they were injured in high school or college, when they were learning to drive, playing sports or attempting to do something they came to regret. Luckily, it’s not too late to benefit dramatically from upper cervical specific care. These doctors take post graduate training to get certified in their technique. They spend more time testing to create an adjustment, based on x-ray analysis, tailor-made for the patient. This translates to faster, safer results, especially with patients with one-sided neurologic disorders like Meniere’s disease or Trigeminal neuralgia.”

Having communicated with Dr Burcon on several occasions I cannot imagine he was responsible for the sensational headline. But that said, his work is significant and should not be ignored or ridiculed as it is by some who have alternative (and potentially lucrative) treatments.

Dr Burcon says: “The reason it took so long to discover the cause of Meniere’s disease is simple, it takes an average of 15 years from the time of the trauma, a whiplash/concussion injury caused by a vehicular accident or significant blow to the head, before the onset of symptoms.”

Ligaments are damaged allowing an upper cervical subluxation complex to slowly develop over time. Additionally, the brain slips lower into the foramen magnum, slowing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid out of the skull, creating normal pressure hydrocephalus. Since the skull acts as a closed hydraulic system, less blood flows into the head. This syndrome is often missed on supine MRIs. These films should be taken upright, seated or standing, and should include the upper cervical spine in addition to the head.

So is Meniere’s disease – Cervical Spine and TMJ relevant?

Yes, absolutely.

Whether it be the neck, the spine, the jaw or teeth, Musculoskeletal imbalances are an important possibility that you should get checked for and corrected if need be.

If you found this article useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

Related articles:

Improving Posture to Alleviate Vertigo: A Comprehensive Guide
Cervicogenic Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
Chiropractics for Meniere’s disease

By Mike Spencer

Founder of Menieres Help -Supporting sufferers since 2004

Researcher and author of Managing Meniere’s Disease and  The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Causes of Meniere’s 

Help other Meniere’s sufferers. Do have experience with Meniere’s, the spine, neck or jaw? Tell us all about it in the comments boxes below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12555932/

Categories
Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes

Meniere’s Disease and Cervical Spine

Are the symptoms of Meniere’s Disease connected to the Cervical Spine?

Chiropractics And Meniere’s Disease

The link between Meniere’s symptoms, particularly vertigo and neck irregularities may be one of the several possible causes of Meniere’s Disease and you would be wise to have your neck and spine checked if you are a sufferer. You can also will find more information related to Chiropractics and Meniere’s Disease & vestibular problems elsewhere on Meniere’s Help.

Dietary Changes & Chiropractics to beat Meniere’s Disease: Testamonial 

This lady combined supplementation and diet changes for a yeast overgrowth with Chiropractics to free herself of Meniere’s Disease symptoms. Below is her a summary of her communication with Meniere’s Help:

Hi Michael,

Sorry for the delay in replying to you.

I am doing much better these days. I was initially taking the supplements for over 4 months without real improvement and not being able to pinpoint any factors which was my trigger. Someone told me about a doctor in Belfast who no longer worked for the NHS as he took a more alternative therapy view on health, a more holistic approach. I attended his clinic about 3 months ago and after a consultation and some investigations he diagnosed my problem as candida overgrowth. To deal with the bacteria overgrowth and he put me on a strict diet (no yeast, no dairy, no sugar). He also had me attend a chiropractor as he felt my neck had a lot of tension in it which could be triggering some of my dizziness/vertigo. Since I have been on this diet & the supplements and finished course of chiropractor treatment i am feeling much better, more energy, no vertigo in 2 months, sleeping better….just feeling like my old self again! The only thing that still bothers me at times is the tinnitus but i can live with that!

Thanks once again for the help and support i received from yourself and Karin

Joanne

Used with permission.
Click here to learn how to manage your Meniere’s symptoms

Note: Candida is a yeast infection that can occur in several parts of the body including the stomach (often the root), the genital area, the mouth and the EAR. Natural things that combat candida are ginger, garlic, grapefruit and probiotics. Some things that can cause or encourage candida growth are sweet foods, alcohol (especially beer) and ani-biotics. It is generally advised these day that after a course of anti-biotics you should use probiotics or Probiotic yogurts are plentiful in the shops these days.

Ear candling is said to be a good treatment for candida.

NCR – Neurocranial Restructuring

We had one gentleman this week who combined supplementation and NCR and was so happy that he requested that we put a video or some info on the website, “even if helps just one person” he said.

Below is a video about a unique Neurocranial Restructuring (NCR) method. You may find it worth investigating, especially if you have sinus trouble or persistent slight tinnitus that won’t go away despite living otherwise free of all the other symptoms through diet and supplementation.

While it is true many people are living symptom free from strengthening their immune system with the supplements and this allows our own immune system to take care of the inflammation causing the build of fluid in the inner ear. It is not a cure. If you have Meniere’s as a result of skeletal muscular problems in the back and neck area etc then NCR (seen in this video) may actually help tackle your root cause.

Around the 6 minute mark there is a patient who had Meniere’s Disease and Vertigo. In this video it also mentions TMJ, Migraines, Neck pain, Sinuses, Whiplash, Fibromalgia, Back pain, Tinnitus, Fatigue, Dizziness, and Core posture. All of these are claimed to have a correlation with “Meniere’s Disease” from different sources.

Email us at meniereshelp@gmail.com 

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How Chiropractic Rehabilitation May Help Your Meniere’s Symptoms

We have posted a few times on Chiropractics, and how it may help your Meniere’s disease symptoms. Here is a detailed report on this topic. It may be worth visiting a reputable Chiropractor and have them check your spine and neck, to see if your symptoms are cervical in origin.

* Note: Your Chiropractor should be cervical certified *

In the article below (click the link at the bottom for the full article) The doctor states: “The dysfunction causing vertigo concerns the total balance function and not the inner ear function alone.” The eyes are part of that system and if you have Meniere’s, you will notice how it often feels the state of the eyes can trigger an attack. Simply watching TV, observing a moving object, strain from staring at computer screens etc.

Karel Lewit, MD, one of the foremost authorities in the world on locomotor system dysfunction and its effects on equilibrium, states: “It is important to stress that a cervical factor may be present in all forms of vertigo and dizziness … in no field is manipulation more effective than in the treatment of disturbances of equilibrium.”1
Because the entire locomotor as well as vestibular and visual system is involved in the regulation of equilibrium, all factors must be considered in the patient who suffers from disorders of this system. Michel Norre, noted authority in the field of vertigo and disequilibrium, states: “The dysfunction causing vertigo concerns the total balance function and not the inner ear function alone.”2 The types of dizziness that are generally most likely to fall into the chiropractic rehabilitative realm are disequilibrium and vertigo.

Disequilibrium is most often cervical in origin, as has been demonstrated by Hulse.3 It has been shown in several studies that the cervical spine plays a very strong role in the body’s regulation of equilibrium sense.4-7 In fact, Guyton7 states that the cervical spine plays the most important role in this regulation. One test that can be useful in determining whether a complaint of disequilibrium is of cervical origin is Hautant’s test.1 Have the patient sitting, preferably in a chair with back support to prevent falling, and holding their arms straight out in front of them, palms down. Have them close their eyes and observe for drifting of their arms to one side. Repeat this with the head turned to the right and to the left and often the deviation will become more marked, particularly when the head is turned to the direction of cervical joint dysfunction. This tests the ability of the cervical spine to appropriately regulate muscle tone in the extremities by properly eliciting the tonic neck reflexes.

Dr Burcon’s work with Meniere’s Disease and Cervical Spine

World Renowned Chiropractic doctor and international speaker on the subject of Meniere’s and Cervical problems Mike Burcon published a peer reviewed paper in 2010 after performing a study on 139 patients.

The paper “Upper Cervical Specific Protocol and Results for 139 Patients with Medically Diagnosed Menieres Disease” is well worth a read.

Here is a short extract from the paper’s abstract:

The cause of Menieres disease is unknown; the pathophysiology is poorly understood, and the treatment empirical. One theory is that the most common cause of Menieres disease is a structural problem, i.e., an upper cervical subluxation complex that is irritating the origin of CNVIII and partially blocking the Eustachian tube. The objective is to demonstrate the effectiveness of cervical specific chiropractic management with one hundred and thirty nine patients medically diagnosed with Menieres disease.

Results:

One hundred thirty out of one hundred and thirty nine patients had inferior and posterior listings with laterality on the opposite side of their involved ear. After one or two specific cervical adjustments, one hundred and thirty six out of the one hundred and thirty nine patients presented with balanced legs and an absence or dramatic reduction of symptoms, especially vertigo. After two years, on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 representing the absence of the symptom and 10 being the worst imaginable, vertigo was lowered from an average of 8.5 to 1.4.

Conclusion:

Prior to the onset of symptoms, all one hundred and thirty nine cases suffered cervical traumas; most from automobile accidents, resulting in previously undiagnosed whiplash injuries. It is unlikely coincidental that one
hundred and thirty out of one hundred and thirty nine consecutive Menieres patients would present with a posterior and inferior atlas listing with laterality on the opposite side of the involved ear. More research on Menieres and chiropractic is needed.

Dr Burcon has been very helpful with information and communication with Menieres-Help.Com and has even been kind enough to treat sufferers who have contacted us.

If you found this article and site useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

 

Related articles:

Can Chiropractics cure Meniere’s disease?
Chiropractics for Meniere’s disease
Acupuncture for Meniere’s Disease

Help other Meniere’s sufferers. Tell us your thoughts or experiences with chiropractics, the neck or back and Meniere’s in the comment box below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

Categories
General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes

Chiropractics for Meniere’s disease

Chiropractics for the symptoms of Meniere’s disease

You can find several posts on this blog regarding the use of Chiropractics for Meniere’s disease and how it may help your reduce your symptoms. It may be worth visiting a reputable cervical certified Chiropractor and have them check your spine and neck, to see if your symptoms are cervical in origin. A significantly sizable enough number of sufferers have contacted Meniere’s Help over many years and reported significant improvements with their symptoms after treatment for this to be ignored or dismissed.

Chiropractic Rehabilitation in the Treatment of Dizziness

By Donald Murphy, DC, DACAN and Craig Liebenson, DC

Dizziness is a common complaint in the chiropractic office. It is a generic term that must be clearly defined and its cause properly characterized and diagnosed for appropriate treatment to be implemented.
It is a complaint that is often treatable via chiropractic manipulative and myofascial/rehabilitative procedures.

The first stage in the workup of a complaint of dizziness is to accurately identify the actual nature of the symptom. There are essentially four symptoms that can be described by a patient as being “dizziness.”

lightheadedness — The patient feels “not right in the head.”

presyncope — The patient feels “faint.”

disequilibrium — The patient feels off balance, often as if they are being “pulled to one side” and feels as if they could easily fall over.

vertigo — The patient feels as if they are spinning or the world is spinning around them. This can often occur in acute attacks, or it can be a constant, low level feeling. This can be rotatory or can occur in a sagittal plane.

Karel Lewit, MD, one of the foremost authorities in the world on locomotor system dysfunction and its effects on equilibrium, states: “It is important to stress that a cervical factor may be present in all forms of vertigo and dizziness … in no field is manipulation more effective than in the treatment of disturbances of equilibrium.”1

Because the entire locomotor as well as vestibular and visual system is involved in the regulation of equilibrium, all factors must be considered in the patient who suffers from disorders of this system. Michel Norre, noted authority in the field of vertigo and disequilibrium, states: “The dysfunction causing vertigo concerns the total balance function and not the inner ear function alone.”2 The types of dizziness that are generally most likely to fall into the chiropractic rehabilitative realm are disequilibrium and vertigo.

Disequilibrium is most often cervical in origin, as has been demonstrated by Hulse.3 It has been shown in several studies that the cervical spine plays a very strong role in the body’s regulation of equilibrium sense.4-7 In fact, Guyton7 states that the cervical spine plays the most important role in this regulation. One test that can be useful in determining whether a complaint of disequilibrium is of cervical origin is Hautant’s test.1 Have the patient sitting, preferably in a chair with back support to prevent falling, and holding their arms straight out in front of them, palms down. Have them close their eyes and observe for drifting of their arms to one side. Repeat this with the head turned to the right and to the left and often the deviation will become more marked, particularly when the head is turned to the direction of cervical joint dysfunction. This tests the ability of the cervical spine to appropriately regulate muscle tone in the extremities by properly eliciting the tonic neck reflexes.

Vertigo, as stated earlier, is by definition an abnormal sensation of movement, usually spinning. Attacks of vertigo can be elicited by various maneuvers or can be constant. When the vertigo is caused by Meniere’s disease it is accompanied by unilateral tinnitus and hearing loss. Benign positional vertigo is caused by dysfunction of the labyrinthine apparatus in the inner ear and attacks are elicited by changes of head position in space, as can be tested for utilizing the Barany maneuver. Cervicogenic vertigo also occurs in attacks and these attacks are elicited by changes of head position relative to the trunk. This can be tested for by utilizing the rotating stool test,8 wherein the patient sits on a stool that has the ability to rotate and is told to rotate their entire body from side to side while the doctor holds their head in position, thus restricting movement to the cervical spine and avoiding stimulation of the inner ear mechanism. If this elicits an attack of vertigo, it is most likely of cervical origin.

Vetebrobasilar insufficiency can cause vertigo, though with this disorder the vertigo almost never occurs by itself, rather being generally accompanied by other symptoms of brainstem ischemia, such as numbness in the ipsilateral face and/or contralateral body; nausea; vomiting; loss of consciousness; visual problems; difficulty walking; incoordination of the extremities; tinnitus; speech problems and nystagmus. The symptoms can be provoked by rotation of the cervical spine, although this is not always the case, and there may be a history of TIA. Vertigo caused by other brainstem diseases such as CP angle tumor can cause a constant, low intensity vertiginous sensation that increases in intensity as the tumor grows.

So it can be seen that before a referral or management strategy can be formulated, there must be accurate diagnosis of the cause of the disequilibrium or vertigo. There are various treatment/rehabilitative approaches that can be taken to restore normal function and eliminate the complaint.

When vertigo or disequilibrium is caused by dysfunction in the cervical spine or labyrinythine apparatus, it is most often treatable in the chiropractic setting. Optimum function of the cervical spine is essential to the recovery from these disorders regardless of the cause. Lewit10 showed that patients with Meneire’s syndrome can be effectively treated with manipulation, demonstrating that 79 percent of 21 cases showed an “excellent” outcome. Fitz-Ritson8 showed that patients with posttramatic vertigo of cervical origin treated with chiropractic manipulative, myofascial and rehabilitative procedures experienced a 90.2 percent success rate. Treatment must not only be directed towards the correction of joint dysfunction via manipulation, but must also be directed toward muscular dysfunction, such as myofascial trigger points and muscle tightness.11 In addition, faulty movement patterns that involve the cervical spine, including cervical flexion, sit-to-stand, breathing and swallowing12 must be detected and corrected. This is especially important because often these patients will have imbalance in activity between the deep neck flexors and the upper cervical extensors. Examining for this imbalance and correcting it through rehabilitative procedures will help the patient improve locomotor system function as a whole and prevent treatment resistance and recurrence of the problem.

Meniere’s disease and upper cervical chiropractic care: Video


If you found this article and site useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

Related articles:

Dealing with Tinnitus
Can Chiropractics cure Meniere’s disease?

Help other sufferers. Do you have experience with chiropractics and Meniere’s disease? Tell us all about it in the comments box below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

Further reading/references: Chiropractic Rehabilitation in the Treatment of Dizziness

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