Dizziness can describe feeling lightheaded, unsteady, faint or off balance. Vertigo is the sensation that you or the surroundings are spinning or moving.
Symptoms may be brief or persistent and can affect walking, driving, work, exercise and confidence in everyday activity. Dizziness and vertigo have many possible causes, so appropriate diagnosis is important.
Vertigo is commonly associated with problems affecting the inner ear, including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis and Ménière's disease. Dizziness can also relate to medication, dehydration, low blood pressure, migraine, anxiety or other medical concerns.
Treatment depends on the cause and may include specific repositioning manoeuvres, medication, vestibular rehabilitation or treatment of an underlying condition.
During treatment, Jamie considers how symptoms feel, when they occur, possible triggers, balance, hearing, headaches, nausea, sleep, stress, medication and wider health.
Chinese medicine uses an individual diagnosis rather than treating everybody experiencing dizziness in the same way. Treatment is adapted according to symptoms, diagnosis, health history and wider presentation.
Acupuncture may be considered only as supportive care alongside appropriate medical assessment. It should not delay urgent investigation or replace condition-specific treatment.
The first appointment provides time to discuss the dizziness or vertigo, when it began, triggers, associated symptoms and its effect on everyday life.
Jamie will ask about medical assessment, hearing, headaches, medication, falls and other treatment. The appointment includes an individual Chinese medicine assessment and, where appropriate, your first acupuncture treatment.
Dizziness and vertigo connect with the Wellbeing and Health Pathway. Where migraine, pain, stress or anxiety is particularly relevant, other clinic pathways may also inform care.
There is no current dedicated dizziness or vertigo fact sheet in the British Acupuncture Council's Evidence A-Z catalogue. Evidence differs according to the underlying cause, and no general claim should be made that acupuncture treats all dizziness or vertigo.
Decisions about acupuncture should follow appropriate diagnosis and consider the individual's symptoms, medical advice and other care.
Further reading:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vertigo/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dizziness/
https://acupuncture.org.uk/about-acupuncture/acupuncture-research/evidence-a-z/
Seek urgent medical help for dizziness or vertigo accompanied by facial weakness, arm or leg weakness, difficulty speaking, sudden severe headache, chest pain, fainting, new hearing loss, persistent vomiting or difficulty walking.
See a GP if symptoms do not go away, keep returning, began suddenly, or occur with hearing changes, headaches, nausea or other symptoms. Avoid driving or dangerous activities while dizzy.
If medically assessed dizziness or vertigo is affecting everyday life, a first appointment gives us time to discuss whether acupuncture may be a suitable part of wider care.