The condition of focus in this case study is vertigo, which has been most simply described as the feeling that the room or one’s surroundings are spinning. The symptoms of vertigo range from bearable short term dizziness to intense dizziness causing nausea and a failure to stand or walk. This condition arises from diseases that cause demyelination, tumors located on the brain stem and cerebellum, hemorrhage in the brain stem as well as vascular diseases of the brainstem.

The individual in the case study was a 12 year old boy who had been dealing with repeated episodes of vertigo, headaches and neck pain. His vertigo first begun when he was 3 years old and since that point in time, his vertigo has continued to grow in intensity. The patient would experience clusters which are 5-20 seconds of severe dizziness, recurring every 15-30 minutes with this cycle lasting for several hours. He was unable to attend school due to the severity of his vertigo.

The patient was received 3 adjustments each week for the first month. After the first month, the schedule was set to shift to 2 visits each week for the next 7 weeks and continue to decrease the frequency of visits as he progressed. The patient reported no headaches or neck pain after just the first week of receiving chiropractic care. 4 weeks after care began, the patient did not experience vertigo. This was the first time he had not experienced vertigo in 9 years!

The patient continued chiropractic care for 2 years and during that time frame he only experienced 2 acute episodes of vertigo. This was remarkable progress for the child because he was now able to attend school consistently as a result of now being free from headaches, neck pain and vertigo episodes. The patient was also able to engage in sports, training and games once again.

This case study along with various  other similar incidents supports the use of chiropractic care in order to help individuals who deal with vertigo and headaches.
Kelly,D., & Holt, K. (2010). Resolution of Vertigo, Migraines and Neck Pain in a 12 Year Old Boy Receiving
Chiropractic Care – A Case Study. Journal Of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, pp. 150-153.