Can Chinese Medicine Help With Dizziness and Vertigo?

What is Dizziness and Vertigo

Dizziness and vertigo are common balance conditions that can affect people of all ages. Dizziness most often presents as light headedness and a general loss of balance. Vertigo can feel like your world is spinning around you, this can make sufferers feel nauseous, lose their balance, have trouble focusing their eyesight and other symptoms. In Chinese medicine, dizziness, vertigo and other balance disorders have similar treatment patterns.

Dizziness and vertigo usually come and go with ‘attacks’ lasting anywhere from seconds to hours, and can be worse when moving, turning, or getting up. The condition can be debilitating for sufferers and can have a significant impact on your daily life. 

Some types of acute dizziness and vertigo such as those related to inner ear infections can be cured quickly however many have a much more complicated underlying cause which can make treatment more difficult.

Western medicine has a number of treatments that are effective for these conditions and for some sufferers, however if the cause is difficult to identify then the condition can be frustratingly persistent. 

TCM's Perspective on Dizziness and Vertigo

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) sees dizziness and vertigo through a different lens to western medicine.

TCM theory considers vertigo to arise from an imbalance of Qi and the dysfunction of certain organs such as the liver, kidney and spleen. In Chinese medicine the movement of Qi and the proper functioning of these organs are seen as essential to the overall health and 'balance' of the body. 

The TCM diagnosis of balance disorders generally fits into three categories: 

1. Phlegm-Dampness: One of the most common TCM diagnosis for persistent dizziness or vertigo is excessive phlegm, dampness, or fluid. When fluid obstructs the movement of Qi in the body and the theoretical movement of clear Yang it can cause the sensation of dizziness and heaviness in the head. Fluid related vertigo, as diagnosed by TCM, can often be related to issues with digestion such as poor diet, or spleen deficiency. 
2. Liver Yang Rising: In Chinese medicine theory, the liver utilises and creates yang energy to facilitate the smooth flow of Qi and blood throughout the body. When the liver’s Yang energy becomes excessive it can rise to the head and create symptoms such as dizziness or vertigo. Balance disorders with this diagnosis is seen by TCM to have likely been created or exacerbated by stress, anxiety, emotional turmoil or an unhealthy lifestyle. 
3. Kidney Essence Deficiency: In Chinese medicine theory the kidneys are the organ that balances Yin and Yang in the body. When the kidney essence (Jing) is deficient, it can lead to a variety of problems, including dizziness and vertigo. The kidney essence naturally declines as a person ages therefore disorders linked to kidney Jing deficiency are more often seen in older adults. Dizziness and vertigo with this underlying cause is often accompanied by tinnitus and poor memory. 

Treatments

Both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are traditionally used to treat balance disorders in Chinese medicine and are often used together. 

Acupuncture can help restore the correct flow of Qi around the body and is traditionally used to reduce the frequency and length of 'attacks' and also for acute balance disorders.

Chinese Herbal Medicine works in concert with acupuncture or as a stand-alone treatment to address the underlying cause of a patients balance disorder. Herbal formulas containing generally between 4 - 12 different herbs and taken either as a raw herbal decoction (tea), granule, or pill. These formulas are generally tailored to a patients specific condition to address the underlying cause of the balance disorder.

Conclusion

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a long history of recognising and treating balance disorders through both acupuncture and herbal medicine. 

Dizziness, vertigo and other balance disorders can be persistent and debilitating conditions. Where symptoms of dizziness or vertigo continue despite western medical treatment, Chinese medicine offers a different approach to both diagnosis and treatment and aims to provide a traditional approach to resolving these conditions.  

Interested in seeing a Chinese medicine specialist for dizziness, vertigo or balance disorders? Book here