vertigo, headaches, and nausea blog image

CASE STUDY: Nausea, Headaches and Vertigo despite “normal” MRI.

This article and video may offer insight and hope for people who also have a wide array of health problems includes headaches and vertigo, whose MRIs come back as saying “everything is normal” when, in fact, nothing is normal about them.

THE CASE: A young male presenting with numerous chronic neurological symptoms: 

This person had previously been to numerous ENTs, neurologists and had an extensive series of MRI scans.

As discussed in other videos, MRI reports will reflect the interpreter’s perspective. Medical radiologists are looking for overt signs of pathology (e.g., fractures, tumors, bleeding, etc). They are often not trained to look for the subtle dis-relationships that affect body function in severe ways. Especially where the upper neck (craniocervical junction) is concerned— the orientation of the upper neck vertebrae can have a profound and devastating impact on health in so many parts of the body. Why is this so? The simple answer is because the upper neck influences the brainstem, and the brainstem is the “Master Control Center” for every bodily function! 

This patient’s MRI was not normal at all! Ultimately, it revealed his hidden cause of his Symptoms! 

We were looking at blood flow to-and-from the brain via two vessels located along the front of the C1 vertebrae in the neck. Vessel 1: Internal Carotid Artery (ICA), which supplies 60% of all the blood to your brain. Vessel 2: Internal Jugular Vein (IJV), which drains blood from your brain when you are in a lying down position.

OUR FINDINGS:  The right sided blood vessels showed normal function; the left side however, showed the Left C1 Transverse Process in an abnormal forward position, constricting IJV. This person’s combination of symptoms is the consequence of abnormal brain blood flow as caused by a forward misalignment of the C1 Vertebrae (a condition known as Eagle’s Syndrome)! 

Our diagnosis begs the question, why didn’t the radiologist and/or neurologist comment on this?! The MRI slices stopped on the point of compression, which suggests the initial interpreters failed to look here. Because of Dr. Hannah’s specialty in the relationship of head-neck alignment, he is trained to thoroughly analyze and accurately diagnose this junction. In other words, he knows where to look because this critical area is often OVERLOOKED by other practitioners. 

If this person simply accepted that “there’s nothing wrong,” as their MRI report and neurologist told them, we wouldn’t have had the chance to dig just a little further! The patient’s perseverance in seeking out a second opinion allowed them to find the source of their ailments and a different approach to overcoming them.

If you or someone you know experiences similar problems of vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus, headaches, nausea, etc., DO NOT LOSE HOPE! Even if an MRI comes back “normal,” and even if you’ve tried chiropractic before, remember that when you see a specialist in Upper Cervical Care; you are given a different approach to health!

The Blair Technique for Headaches and Vertigo

The Blair technique is a special division of general chiropractic that focuses on the alignment, motion and stability of the atlas vertebra because of its unique relationship with your nervous system, which controls every function in your body.

Unlike general spinal manipulation, there is no twisting, cracking or stretching. The Blair technique is a gentle and precise approach that utilizes a series of physical, neurological and diagnostic tests in order to provide the highest level of personalized healthcare. When your atlas is aligned, your body has the potential to be healthy. However, when it is misaligned, simply put, your brain and body are not able to work as efficiently as they otherwise would. Inevitably, that is when health problems start to occur.

The big idea of the Blair technique is that by restoring the normal alignment, motion and stability at the junction between your head and neck, your own nervous system and its innate mechanisms are able to do what your body is designed to do: heal itself. And when that force is able to flow freely through your body from above-down, inside-out, anything is possible.

If you are looking for a chiropractor in Spokane, visit our home page more information. To schedule a new patient appointment with our Mead (north Spokane) or South Hill offices, complete a new patient request form here or call us direct at 509-315-8166.