Elsevier

Manual Therapy

Volume 5, Issue 3, August 2000, Pages 151-157
Manual Therapy

Regular Article
Effects of acupuncture, cervical manipulation and NSAID therapy on dizziness and impaired head repositioning of suspected cervical origin: a pilot study,☆☆

https://doi.org/10.1054/math.2000.0357Get rights and content

Abstract

In a single-subject experiment undertaken on 14 consecutive patients, the effects of acupuncture, cervical manipulation, no therapy, and NSAID-percutan application on kinesthetic sensibility, dizziness/vertigo and pain were studied in patients with dizziness/vertigo of suspected cervical origin. The ability to perceive position of the head with respect to the trunk was studied. The effects of different forms of therapy—and none—on dizziness and neck pain were compared, using a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS). Active head relocation by subjects with dizziness was significantly less precise than in the control group. Manipulation was the only treatment to diminish the duration of dizziness/vertigo complaints during the past 7 days and increased the cervical range of motion. Both acupuncture and manipulation reduced dizziness/vertigo on the VAS scale and had positive effects on active head repositioning. Ketoprofen percutan application and acupuncture both alleviated pain.

The results of this study would suggest that spinal manipulation may impact most efficiently on the complex process of proprioception and dizziness of cervical origin.

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      Dizziness is a common problem that can lead to disability and affect quality of life.1-3 In some cases of dizziness the cause can be attributed to a pathologic condition or dysfunction of upper cervical vertebral segments.4-7 This form of cervicogenic dizziness is characterized by symptoms of imbalance or spinning associated with neck pain, stiffness, or headache.7

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    Hannu Heikkila MD, PhD, Michael Johansson, Britt-Inger Wenngren MD, PhD, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Northern Sweden University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden.

    ☆☆

    Correspondence to HH: Lärlingsgatan 2, S-90422 Umeå, Sweden. Tel.: +46 90 7858322, E-mail: [email protected]

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