Vertigo is the sudden onset of internal or external movement or a spinning sensation often triggered by head movement. Dizziness is slightly different in that one can feel faint, have an altered sense of balance, feel lightheaded, or feel as if your head is spinning.
There are several systems in place in our body that work to maintain balance.
When mixed signals come from any of these systems, it can confuse the brain as it is trying to interpret information from the body. This confusion can result in dizziness, lack of balance, poor coordination, and more.
Poor neck posture, neck disorders, or trauma to the cervical spine cause this confusion. Dizziness often results from a head injury or whiplash that disrupts head and neck alignment. This dizziness most often occurs after moving your neck and can also affect your sense of balance and concentration.
One of the common causes of dizziness and vertigo is upper neck misalignments. Proper alignment of the Atlas vertebra (first cervical bone, C1) is paramount to the proper function of the coordination and balance centers of the brain and body. When this bone gets locked into place along with improper head alignment, it can cause various neurological symptoms, including dizziness and vertigo. When the upper neck is misaligned, it can stress the brainstem and disrupt the free-flowing neurological information to and from the brain. This additional stress on the brainstem can cause postural distortions seen throughout the body, like a high shoulder and an imbalanced pelvis. Between postural imbalances and x-rays, we can bring the head and neck back into alignment for better nervous system function and communication using the NUCCA protocol.
