Symptoms, Causes & Treatment of Vestibular Migraine

Osteopath Cliff explores the symptoms and causes of vestibular migraine and how treatment may help.

If you live with vestibular migraine, you’ll understand how debilitating the symptoms can be. They can vary from always there to completely resolved and, when acute, can affect even the simplest tasks of daily life. 

Often people with dizziness and nausea have seen various therapists, had numerous tests, and when everything comes back clear, are diagnosed with vestibular migraine. It’s worth noting that you don’t have to suffer a headache during these migraine attacks.

Symptoms  of Vestibular Migraine:

Symptoms differ from person to person, which is why an accurate diagnosis and individual, holistic treatment plan are important. 

• difficulty with balance.
• dizziness.
• ringing in ears.
• brain fog.
• nausea.
• sensitivity to light or sound.
• blurred vision.
• symptoms may increase with neck movements or when using eyes for tasks such as reading or driving.

Sufferers often report tightness in their neck or shoulders shortly before or during an attack. 

This is an important diagnostic factor as the neck plays an important role alongside the visual and vestibular systems in telling your brain where your head is about the rest of your body. 

Possible Causes of Vestibular Migraine:

Research has also demonstrated that issues in the upper neck can increase the brainstem’s sensitivity. This area below the brain is responsible for several functions, including balance coordination and reflexes. 

In people with vestibular migraine, it’s thought that this increased sensitivity is responsible for the abnormal interpretation of information passing through the brainstem and, therefore, symptoms. 

Treatment at the Melbourne Headache and Migraine group in Williamstown is based on the Watson Headache approach, which aims to correct dysfunction in the upper segments of the neck. 

Due to the complex nature of vestibular migraine, our Melbourne headache centre team will also consider your lifestyle and exercise habits and tailor an approach to help you regain control over your symptoms and life.  

Book here online or call our reception team at (03) 9397 8877 if you suffer from migraines and want to get some quality back in your life.