It’s natural for those suffering from vertigo to look for natural treatments for vertigo, as vertigo medicines often have side effects. Other treatments for vertigo often involve vertigo medicines, vertigo exercises, & in rare instances, surgery.
Vertigo can also go away on its own after some time, though in some cases, you might have to seek out treatment. While vertigo exercises, vertigo medicines like the Stugeron Forte tablet, & surgeries are effective, they don’t really come without any side effects.
Hence, it’s understandable that most vertigo patients might want to go with natural treatments for vertigo instead of vertigo medicines. Since their efficacy is almost as high as most vertigo medicines, natural treatments for vertigo are quite often practised and recommended along with traditional vertigo treatments.
In this blog, we’ll tell you about some of the most popular & well-known natural treatments for vertigo.
1. The Epley Maneuver
The Epley Maneuver is also known as the Canalith Repositioning maneuver, & is usually the first line of treatment recommended for vertigo patients. This Epley Maneuver is an easy exercise that helps reposition the displaced calcium crystals(otoliths) from the semicircular canal of the inner back to their original position in the middle ear. According to leading researchers, the Epley Maneuver has a success rate of over 90% in vertigo treatment, & is one of the best treatments for vertigo. Your doctor can either perform the Epley Maneuver on you in their office or give you some instruction on performing these yourself. Patients can easily perform the Epley Maneuver at home via some easy, simple steps.
To perform the Epley Maneuver by yourself at home, follow the steps mentioned below.
- Sit on a flat surface with a pillow behind you. Stretch out your legs in front of you.
- Turn your head 45 degrees towards the right.
- Now with your head lying in this position, quickly lie back & place your head on the pillow. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds.
- Next, turn your head in the left direction a full 90 degrees. Don’t lift your neck while you’re at it.
- Now turn towards the left direction with your whole body in such a way that you’re completely lying towards your left.
- Now, return to your original position slowly, while keeping your face looking forward. Sit straight up once you’re back in your starting position.
Try to perform the Epley Maneuver thrice every day for at least 2-3 weeks for the best results in vertigo treatment. For extra protection, you can also try having someone watch over you while you perform the exercise. This is helpful because the Epley Maneuver can make you feel dizzy & render you unable to perform everyday activities for some time. This is why it’s also important to wait for at least 15 minutes when you’re done performing the Epley Maneuver to regain your mobility and previous state of health.
2. The Semont-Toupet maneuver
Similar to the Epley Maneuver, the Semont-Toupet maneuver is another vertigo treatment exercise, although a bit less known than the former. However, some medical studies have shown it to be just as effective as the Epley Maneuver in vertigo treatment. It’s also quite easy to perform, and even requires lesser neck flexibility than the former.
As with the Epley Maneuver, your doctor can either help you perform the exercise in their office, or instruct you to perform these at your home.
To perform the Epley Maneuver yourself at home, follow the steps mentioned below.
- Sit upright on a flat surface with your legs stretched in front of you. Place a pillow behind you.
- Lie down & turn to your right side. While on your right side, look to your left side with your gaze upwards.
- Next, sit up quickly with your head turned towards your left. Keep your head facing towards the left and shift your gaze downwards.
- Finally, return to your original position and look forward while sitting straight up.
3. Brandt-Daroff exercises
Out of all Vertigo exercises, the Brandt-Daroff exercises are the easiest to perform by yourself, unsupervised. Although the exercises might bring on dizziness and other vertigo-like symptoms. So you should rest for some time after performing them and not immediately indulge in everyday activities.
To perform the Brandt-Daroff exercises by yourself at home, follow the steps mentioned below:
- Sit on a flat surface with your feet dangling in the manner of sitting in a chair.
- While turning your head as far as you can towards the left side, lay down with your entire body towards the right. Ensure that your legs don’t move when you’re in this position. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds.
- Sit up & turn your head back towards the center.
- Next, repeat steps 2 & 3 on the opposite side by turning your head towards the right as far as possible. Then, lay down on the left side.
Perform these exercises in a set of 5 repetitions each & at least thrice every day for best results in vertigo treatment.
4. Ginkgo Biloba
Some leading medical studies have found Ginkgo Biloba to be just as effective as some traditional vertigo medicines in vertigo treatment. Ginkgo Biloba extract is available in either capsule form or liquid form. Taking as little as 240 mg of Ginkgo Biloba extract every day should greatly reduce the intensity & severity of your symptoms. Regular intake of Ginkgo Biloba also helps you stay more balanced & coordinated, helping you negate your vertigo-induced dizzy spells and disorientation.
5. Stress management techniques
Simple stress management techniques like singing, painting, doing some yoga, tai chi, & posture training can also help in your vertigo treatment. Stress management techniques are effective natural treatments for vertigo. They help cut down on excessive stress in your everyday life and help you get an outlet for letting it out. You should also try setting out some me-time from your everyday life to destress and keep a check on your mental health.
6. Getting enough sleep
Getting proper 8 hours of sleep is an often overlooked but extremely effective natural treatment for vertigo and other diseases as well. You should never underestimate the importance of getting a good night’s sleep to cure & prevent a lot of diseases. A lack of sleep can actually cause your brain to become fuzzy, making it difficult for it to relay adequate balance-related signals to the other parts of the body.
This can lead to feelings of dizziness, nausea, motion sickness, and other vertigo signs. Getting proper sleep every night can actually help you become a lot more oriented and balanced in your everyday life.
7. Drinking an adequate amount of water
Like a lack of sleep, a lack of hydration can also cause you to feel dizzy, nauseous, & motion sick. In fact, dehydration is most often the topmost reason for people feeling dizzy, nauseous, & motion sick. Hence, making sure that you stay hydrated at all times of the day is especially important to ensure that you don’t get dizzy, nauseous, motion sick, & keep your balance at all times.
