At BioStrong, we believe your body should function to the best of its ability. If you're among the many Calgarians struggling with vertigo, headaches, or migraines, there’s good news: osteopathic manual therapy (OMT) offers a safe, non-invasive, and highly effective approach, often with fewer side effects than medication.
In this article, we’ll break down what these conditions are, how osteopathy works, and the research-backed results we’re seeing in our Calgary clinic every day.
Vertigo is more than dizziness. It is the sensation that you or your environment is spinning. Causes range from inner ear dysfunction and cervical spine restriction to cranial tension. While medications may offer temporary relief, they rarely resolve the mechanical or neurological origins. These conditions are what osteopathic treatment specifically addresses.
Tension-type headaches (TTH) affect up to 78% of the population. Migraines can involve nausea, light sensitivity, and significant disruption to daily life. Both can be chronic and difficult to manage with medication alone. At our Calgary clinic, we often treat patients who’ve exhausted traditional options and are looking for natural headache relief.
Our osteopathic manual therapy approach focuses on restoring balance within the cranial system, cervical spine, and autonomic nervous system. At BioStrong, we treat the root causes using gentle, targeted techniques such as:
These methods reduce tension, improve circulation, normalize nerve function, and help rebalance the vestibular and trigeminal systems involved in headaches and vertigo.
Modern evidence strongly supports osteopathic intervention.
🔹 A 2006 clinical trial showed that patients who received OMT plus relaxation had more headache-free days per week than those who used relaxation alone — a 57.5% improvement in frequency and severity (Anderson & Seniscal, 2006).
🔹 A 2015 systematic review confirmed that OMT significantly reduced headache intensity and frequency in multiple trials — with no adverse effects reported (Cerritelli et al., 2015).
🔹 A 2014 pilot study in patients with episodic TTH found a ~50% reduction in headaches and 45% less medication use just three months after treatment (Voigt et al., 2014).
🔹 A 2016 RCT on chronic migraine sufferers revealed that OMT reduced not only migraine frequency but also pain intensity and emotional distress, improving overall quality of life (Cerritelli et al., 2016).
🔹 Most recently, a 2022 scoping review analyzed 15 studies and concluded that OMT should be seriously considered as a first-line therapy for tension and migraine headaches (Morin et al., 2022).
One patient in her early 40s came to BioStrong with over a decade of tension headaches. Having tried medications, chiropractic, massage, and even nerve blocks, she felt out of options. Through a customized osteopathic plan focused on cranial mobility, cervical spine decompression, and thoracic release, her headaches dropped in both intensity and frequency. She now enjoys weeks without a headache and with no medications needed.
Our Calgary-based clinic blends traditional osteopathic philosophy with modern, evidence-based practice. We’re proud to offer non-pharmaceutical, manual therapy that targets the causes, not just the symptoms, of chronic conditions.
We’re also the only clinic in Calgary combining osteogenic loading with manual osteopathy, providing an integrated path to structural, metabolic, and neurological health.
If you're looking for natural vertigo treatment, or a trusted Calgary osteopath for migraines and headaches, our team is here to help.
📞 Prefer to talk to us? Call the clinic to speak directly with our team at 403.978.9780
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It starts with an initial appointment to discuss your medical history, main health concerns and expectations of BioStrong therapy.
We will help you assess whether a program can help your condition and discuss the details of treatment.
