Acupuncture has been used to alleviate symptoms like dizziness and vertigo for hundreds of years. For many patients, acupuncture is a safe, alternative method to help with their vertigo and imbalance when traditional medications or prescriptions do not provide the relief they need.
Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness that refers to a spinning sensation, as if the room is moving around the patient or the patient is moving around himself. Moreover, the patient may feel that he is leaning to one side or that he is about to fall.
Acupuncture alleviates symptoms of Vertigo.
Many reports and ongoing research shows that acupuncture is an effective alternative treatment for vertigo. The biochemical changes that occur with acupuncture treatments tend to affect the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, thereby promoting physical and emotional well-being.
Certain acupuncture points have been shown to positively affect vertigo and dizziness, as they:
- affect areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress.
- act on the vestibular labyrinth system and stimulates the nervous system causing the release of neurochemical messenger molecules.
- increase the speed of blood flow within the basal vertebral artery, thereby improving cervical vertigo.
- increase the levels of endorphins and neuropeptides, which fight against negative emotional states.
Science has concluded that, as early as the first acupuncture session, patients report a significant improvement in their symptoms, and over the course of treatments the improvement becomes more noticeable and more permanent.
References
- Webster KE, Kamo T, Smith L, Harrington-Benton NA, Judd O, Kaski D, Maarsingh OR, MacKeith S, Ray J, Van Vugt VA, Burton MJ. Non-pharmacological interventions for persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023 Mar 13;3(3):CD015333.
- Chiu CW, Lee TC, Hsu PC, Chen CY, Chang SC, Chiang JY, Lo LC. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for dizziness and vertigo in emergency department: a pilot cohort study. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2015 Jun 9;15:173.
- Xue Z, Liu CZ, Shi GX, Liu Y, Li ZX, Zhang ZH, Wang LP. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chronic dizziness: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2013 Dec 13;14:429.
