Vertigo
Ralph said he was introducing the introducer but had to mention how effective this program had been for him and he encouraged everyone to remember this if ever affected with vertigo.
Phil said J R Nieuwland was born in Cincinnati but moved to Holland when he was 6. He went to Florida for his training and met Kelly's sister so now he and J R are brothers in law. He moved up here and opened a practice in Barrie.
J R defined dizziness as loss of balance which can be accompanied by anxiety, emotionalism, nausea and vertigo. People suffering from it can withdraw and end up in isolation. It's very common, accounting for 5 - 10% of all doctor visits and it's the number one reason seniors go to the doctor. 50% of all adults will be affected at some point.
With dizziness comes a high risk of falling which is even higher in seniors. Over 50% of seniors fall and 50% of those can't go home. People suffer over 2,000,000 falls a year.
Its cause is in the inner ear which is why it's referred to as vestibular. It can be the result of head trauma, infections, ear degeneration, some antibiotics and barotrauma from diving. Vertigo refers to the 'sense of spinning' and can be brought on by bending over, looking up, rolling over in bed. Reversing the movement can eliminate the symptons but it's still very unpleasant. Most people suffer from it for about 3 months before they make a visit to the doctor.
He showed us a schematic of the inner ear and pointed out the calcium carbonate crystals that can break free. When they do they drop into the semi circular canals.
The crystals are gravity sensitive and when they are in their proper place they tell us when we're oriented up or down. The canals are filled with water and they are movement sensitive and help us keep our balance. When the crystals fall into the water filled canals the two systems mix giving us contradictory signals resulting in vertigo.
Assessment relies on eye movement and is specific enough to tell which canal is affected. J R straps a video camera on the client and focuses it on the eye. When the diagnosis is made careful manipulation of the head can get the crystals back where they belong.
Only 32% of dizziness attacks are true vertigo but this treatment is successful in over 96% of those cases. MRI scans don't show the criystals and would not be cost effective in comparison with this tool anyway. J R has been doing this since 2001 and the treatment was perfected about 10 years ago. Doctors should be aware of this problem and the solution. Most doctors can't do the treatment as it requires some specialization.
Ralph offered his thanks to J R for coming to the meeting and mentioned that the treatment had helped his mother as well.