Vestibular migraines can be incredibly disruptive to daily life. Unlike traditional migraines that are primarily associated with headache pain, vestibular migraines often involve dizziness, vertigo, balance disturbances, nausea, and difficulty concentrating. For many people, these symptoms can make work, exercise, travel, and even simple daily activities feel overwhelming.
In this case study, we’ll look at how acupuncture helped a 33-year-old patient experiencing vestibular migraines and persistent vertigo regain their quality of life.
Understanding Vestibular Migraines
Vestibular migraines affect the balance system and can cause sensations of movement even when a person is standing still. Some people describe the feeling as spinning, swaying, floating, or rocking. Symptoms can last anywhere from minutes to days or even weeks.
Common symptoms of vestibular migraines include:
Because symptoms can fluctuate and change over time, vestibular migraines are often frustrating and difficult to predict.
Patient Presentation
A 33-year-old patient came to our office experiencing a vestibular migraine episode that had been ongoing for three weeks. While symptoms had been occurring on and off for approximately one year, this particular flare-up was especially persistent.
Primary Symptoms
- Rocking side-to-side sensation, like being on a boat
- Dizziness
- Frontal headaches occurring about 50% of the time
- Difficulty focusing
- Nausea
- Anxiety
Additional Health History
- Chronic ear infections during childhood and adulthood
- Low energy
The patient’s symptoms significantly impacted daily functioning and made normal activities increasingly challenging.
Early Changes During Treatment
Following the second acupuncture treatment, the patient noticed some improvement over the weekend. The constant rocking sensation became less intense and shifted into a feeling of being slightly tilted.
Although the rocking sensation returned, this change was an encouraging sign. In many cases, vertigo symptoms evolve before they resolve completely. As the body begins to regain balance, symptoms may change in quality, intensity, or frequency.
By the third treatment, the patient reported that mornings were generally their best time of day, with symptoms worsening later in the afternoon and evening. However, they also began experiencing brief periods of relief throughout the day—something that had not been happening before treatment began.
While nausea continued to accompany some attacks and occasionally affected appetite, positive changes were becoming more noticeable.
Gradual Reduction in Vertigo
After the fourth treatment, the rocking sensation disappeared for several days and was replaced by the feeling of being tilted. Although the rocking returned briefly, it was noticeably less intense than before.
The patient also used ear seeds during this phase of care. Ear seeds are a form of auricular therapy that allows patients to continue stimulating specific points between acupuncture treatments.
By the fifth treatment, substantial progress had occurred:
- Mornings were symptom-free
- Symptom-free periods lasted longer into the afternoon
- Rocking sensations became very mild
- Nausea had completely disappeared for the week
These improvements continued during subsequent treatments.
Continued Improvement and Return to Activity
By the sixth treatment, vertigo symptoms continued to decrease in both frequency and intensity. The occasional tilted sensation remained but felt much less severe than at the beginning of care.
The patient reported:
- Sporadic and mild rocking sensations
- Reduced intensity of tilt sensations
- No nausea
- Occasional headaches
At the seventh and eighth appointments, vertigo was no longer constant. Symptoms mainly occurred during exercise or toward the end of the day and resolved much more quickly than before.
This represented a major improvement from the patient’s initial presentation, where symptoms were present throughout most of the day.
Returning to Normal Life
One of the most significant milestones occurred by the tenth treatment.
The patient had recently returned from a trip where they walked approximately 7 to 8 miles each day. Prior to beginning treatment, this level of activity would have been extremely difficult due to the constant dizziness and vertigo.
At that appointment, the patient experienced a moderate headache affecting the forehead and back of the neck, but importantly, there was no vertigo.
By the eleventh treatment, the patient reported feeling back to “normal.”
Walking, exercising, and daily activities were once again manageable without episodes of vertigo. The primary focus moving forward shifted toward preventing future vertigo episodes and reducing the frequency of headaches.
Symptoms May Change Before They Resolve
Many patients expect symptoms to simply disappear. However, vestibular symptoms often evolve as the body regains balance. In this case, the rocking sensation transitioned into a tilted feeling before both gradually diminished.
Acupuncture May Help Associated Symptoms
Vertigo is often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, headaches, anxiety, and difficulty focusing. As treatment progressed, the patient’s nausea resolved completely, and overall daily functioning improved significantly.
Ear Seeds Can Support Progress Between Treatments
Auricular therapy using ear seeds provided additional support between acupuncture sessions and may help patients maintain progress throughout the week.
Vestibular migraines can affect nearly every aspect of life, from work performance to exercise and travel. While every patient’s experience is unique, this case demonstrates how acupuncture may help reduce vertigo, nausea, headaches, and other symptoms associated with vestibular migraines.
If you have been experiencing dizziness, vertigo, balance disturbances, or vestibular migraines, acupuncture may be a valuable part of your treatment plan. A personalized approach can help address both the primary symptoms and the underlying patterns contributing to them, supporting long-term recovery and improved quality of life.
