This Herbal Remedy Heals Vertigo

Vertigo is one of the most common complaints doctors receive from elderly people.

A new study in Advances in Integrative Medicine put a common herb to the test with very promising results, especially for the types of vertigo that are traditionally quite difficult to treat.

Since Ginkgo biloba is an herbal supplement known for its memory-enhancing properties, it might seem surprising that researchers tried it for the treatment of vertigo.

Another type of condition for which Ginkgo biloba is sometimes used is blood circulation problems, as it seems capable of opening up blood vessels and making blood less tacky.

Since some cases of vertigo are caused by poor blood circulation, the researchers thought they would find out whether this herb could work to treat it.

They sifted through various databases like PubMed and Cochrane, looking for relevant randomized controlled trials. These trials are considered the gold standard in medical research because they compare a treatment group (in this case, patients receiving Ginkgo biloba) with a control group (those not receiving the treatment, or receiving a mock treatment).

This method helps determine if the treatment is truly effective.

Their search yielded 25 suitable studies involving a total of 1,209 patients. These studies focused on people suffering from five different types of vertigo. They compared the effects of Ginkgo biloba on these patients against those in control groups.

The findings were quite interesting:

1. Ginkgo biloba seemed to improve vertigo symptoms in patients with vertebrobasilar artery insufficiency, cervical vertigo, and non-specific disease vertigo.

2. It did not show significant benefits for those with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) or Meniere’s disease, two other common causes of vertigo.

3. Compared with the control groups, the Ginkgo biloba group with vertebrobasilar artery insufficiency was 4.63 times more likely to recover, and those with cervical vertigo were four times more likely to recover.

The researchers also looked at adverse reactions such as headaches, gastrointestinal discomfort, and skin rashes. They found that the incidence of these side effects in the Ginkgo biloba group was not significantly different from that in the control group. This suggests that Ginkgo biloba is relatively safe to use for treating vertigo.

Vertebrobasilar artery insufficiency occurs when the blood flow through the blood vessels to the back of the brain is reduced. This is the part of the brain that includes areas responsible for essential functions like coordination, balance, vision, and consciousness.

Cervical vertigo is characterized by damage to the parts of the neck that send information to the brain regarding the position, motion, and stability of our bodies.

While using Ginkgo biloba helped for many types of vertigo, it didn’t work for all and didn’t cure any. But there is a set of easy vertigo exercises that heal all types of vertigo and dizziness. You can learn these simple home exercises here…