The clinical origins and treatment of vertigo
Vertigo is a commonly encountered clinical illness. Vertigo has some of the following symptoms: gradual blurred or spinning vision when sitting upright, or unbalanced when standing. Different clinical origins also exhibit different symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, lethargy, irritation, perspiration, tinnitus and reddened face.
Chinese medicine has a unique knowledge of vertigo and its treatment, especially an in-depth understanding of its clinical origin. Chinese medicine believes that “motion sickness is related to the Liver”, and an “absence of phlegm relates to no motion sickness”, whereas a “weakened body due to deficiency will lead to motion sickness”. Chinese medicine also believes that although vertigo appears as if it originates from the head, in actual fact its clinical origin is related to the malfunctioning of certain internal organs, such as the Liver, Kidneys and Spleen. It is the imbalance between these internal organs resulting in phlegm production and deficiency, that leads to poor blood circulation and insufficient blood supply to the brain that naturally results in vertigo. When a vertigo-sufferer is undergoing treatment, the most important step is to investigate the clinical origin of vertigo. We use TCM pulse and tongue diagnosis in conjunction with four other diagnostic techniques to discern the nature of the clinical origin, and apply the correct medicinal herbs, acupuncture, cupping, massage or scrubbing.
A Clinical Case Study of Vertigo
Recently I successfully treated a chronic vertigo patient, 30 year old mother of two children. When she first arrived for medical treatment, it was found that she had vertigo for a couple of years, which came and went and became severe in recent months. She was unable to drive and the symptoms worsened to the point of her being unable to turn her head. Besides vertigo, she was lethargic, displayed an aversion to food, upper abdominal bloatedness, tightening of her neck and shoulders, with infrequent headaches. I found her pulse to be heavy and taut and her blood-pressure to be low. Especially in the Spleen/Liver meridians, pale coloured tongue lacking in blood lustre.
According to the above symptoms, it severely affected her normal living. In recent months she also went through numerous clinical investigations without any success. According to what I gathered from her clinical symptoms and through pulse and tongue diagnoses, I diagnosed her vertigo origin to be from deficiency in both her Liver and Spleen, poor Blood circulation leading to stagnation in her neck and shoulders, blood unable to reach her brain, resulting in vertigo.
I “adjusted” her Liver and Spleen, nourished her Blood and improved Blood circulation to her brain through herbal medicines. At the same time, I treated her stenosis thereby enabling a smooth and rapid blood circulation to her brain.
After a few weeks of treatment and medicinal herb consumption, her vertigo completely disappeared including her initial symptoms. During the process and post-treatment, I also applied acupuncture to her vertigo clinical origin, and provided her with some tips to medicated diet and life-style changes, to help her prevent future vertigo occurrences. She is now very happy because health is most vital when it comes to maintaining basic life satisfaction.
The above is one example of a vertigo sufferer. In fact, there are several clinical origins to vertigo.
Clinical Origins of Vertigo
Below I will explain in simple terms the different classifications of vertigo including commonly encountered clinical origins to vertigo and their preventative/relieving techniques.
Vertigo as a result of imbalances of the Liver and Spleen, insufficient Blood and Qi. Normally it is related to poor circulation of Liver Blood and insufficient Spleen Qi. You will normally have the symptoms of vertigo, lethargy, shortness of breath, constant perspiration, weakened extremities, poor appetite, upper abdominal bloatedness, pale face and most of the time having low blood pressure. Besides seeking early medical intervention, you should observe the following suggestions:
- Make an effort to drink more water (room temperate or warm water is best)
- Ensure you get adequate sleep
- Eat more carrots, beef, mutton, red dates, apples, grapes, yellow soybeans
- Drink more hot soup during the winter season (beef/lamb/goat-boned soup)
- Do not over-exert yourself
If the clinical origin of vertigo is Liver “heat” with stagnating Qi, besides vertigo, you will have a flushed face, headaches, feel frustrated and agitated, have insomnia, a bitter taste in the mouth, yellow urine, incomplete bowel movements, red and sore eyes. Some people will also have high blood pressure. In the process of eating herbal medication or treatments, one should observe the following points:
- Reduce consumption of spicy food and lamb/mutton
- Try your best to maintain your cheerfulness
- Abstain from coffee and tea prior to bedtime
- Eat more “light” and cool-natured food such as celery, watermelon, pear, mung beans, fish, Chinese cabbage or other green leafed vegetables
- Drink more green or mint tea
- Do not perform vigorous bending, twisting or movements of the waist/hip.
Vertigo is can also be related to Kidney deficiency (deficiency of Kidney yin) commonly encountered by the elderly. The vertigo comes and goes, and does not go away with time. There are other symptoms, such as waist/hip pain, weakened knees, frequent nocturia, tinnitus, deafness, dry mouth, dry skin, lethargy, copious perspiration during the night and dry stools. If you have these symptoms, you should:
- Nourish the Kidneys by reducing or abstaining from food or medicines which may harm the Kidneys
- Eat some Kidney nourishing food such as wolf berries, honey, walnuts, yellow soybeans, tofu
- During exercise or moving of objects, one should not exert the waist/hip because the two Kidneys are situated near those regions
- Be careful to protect the waist/hip, thereby promoting the health of the Kidneys
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