Have you ever felt dizzy before? You know the feeling, you get up too quickly from bed and stand up and what happens…. you feel like you need to sit back down again as your head becomes dizzy. Did you know that neck pain and dizziness often go hand in hand after a trauma or injury to the neck is experienced? Neck pain and dizziness can be a troubling condition as no one likes the feeling of being dizzy as it can be very uncomfortable and sometimes unnerving. The medical community has labeled one form of neck pain which is accompanied by dizziness as “cervical vertigo.” This often accompanies a specific injury to the neck such as whiplash. Having said that, dizziness can accompany neck pain even if an injury was not incurred.
What is Dizziness caused by?
Dizziness can be described as a very normal feeling one gets when the brain receives conflicting signals or messages from your eyes or from your inner ears. It is a disorientation of space and a sense of unsteadiness. It can change your sense of balance and spinning, whirling, or of a feeling of motion of yourself or of the space you are in, are common symptoms of dizziness.
Causes of Neck pain and dizziness
Cervical vertigo is the number one cause of neck pain and dizziness. People that suffer from cervical vertigo often complain of daily bouts of dizziness. Symptoms of dizziness can last minutes and sometimes hours. In many cases, the severity of the dizziness decreases after the neck pain has been treated.
In order to treat the neck pain, you will first need to know what is causing your pain in the first place. Neck pain can be a result of herniated discs, pinched nerves, spinal arthritis, muscle imbalances and more. To learn more about neck pain treatments, please visit the neck pain portion of our website.
Chiropractic care is often an effective treatment for neck pain and dizziness. If your dizziness persists, you will want to consult a physician to be sure that you are not dealing with any major injuries to the neck or head. A thorough examination can rule out inner ear issues, cervical vertigo, and other more serious brain injuries. Do not ignore the warning signs. We all experience pain and feel dizzy every now and then, but ongoing dizziness is your body’s way of telling you something may be wrong.
