A Case Report of Korean Medicine Therapy for Non-Spinning Dizziness with Autonomic Imbalance

Non-spinning dizziness without identifiable organic causes is commonly encountered in clinical practice and may be associated with autonomic dysfunction.This case report describes a 38-year-old man who developed non-spinning dizziness without identifiable organic causes. Within approximately 1 week, the symptoms progressed to the extent that independent ambulation was no longer possible and did not improve despite treatment with betahistine and dimenhydrinate. Comprehensive evaluations, including brain magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance angiography (MRI/MRA), electrocardiography, blood tests, the Dix–Hallpike test, and orthostatic hypotension assessment, revealed no abnormal findings. Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis demonstrated sympathetic dominance, with a low-frequency/high-frequency (LF/HF) ratio of 20.773 and total power (TP) of 617.953 ms², suggesting autonomic imbalance. The patient received 48 days of Korean medicine therapy, including Ikgibohyeol-tang, deer antler extract, acupuncture, and electroacupuncture. Following treatment, the peak Numerical Rating Scale score decreased from 6 to 0, and the daily step count increased from 403 to 8,130, indicating recovery of gait function. HRV analysis showed a decrease in the LF/HF ratio from 20.773 to 8.519 and an increase in TP from 617.953 ms2 to 1,577.246 ms². This case suggests the potential clinical applicability of Korean medicine in patients with non-spinning dizziness without identifiable organic causes accompanied by autonomic imbalance.