Although dizziness is one of the most common reasons for a visit to the doctor, it is a difficult symptom to define, which can make diagnosis difficult as well. There are many conditions that can cause different types of dizziness, but cervical ("related to the neck") spine dysfunction associated with the deep neck flexors is one of the less-known ones.
The deep neck flexors comprise the longus colli and longus capitus muscles. According to Joel Johnston, D.C. and Mark A. King, D.C., these muscles "play a pivotal role in cervical spine conditions" and "are often overlooked as a source of locomotor system dysfunction." Dysfunction of the locomotor system may be a cause of the dizziness complaints known as vertigo and disequilibrium.
Symptoms
Sufferers from vertigo experience the feeling of spinning or the world spinning around them. Vertigo may occur in acute attacks or as a constant low-level feeling. Disequilibrium sufferers feel off-balance, as though they are being pulled to one side and may fall over.
Diagnosis
Vertigo of cervical origin must be distinguished from other conditions that cause vertigo, such as Meniere's disease. One test for cervicogenic vertigo is the rotating stool test, in which the patient rotates from side to side on a rotating stool while the doctor holds his head in position.
A doctor can test for cervicogenic disequilibrium using Hautant's test. In this test, the seated patient holds her arms straight out with palms facing down and eyes closed. The doctor watches for drifting of the arms to one side.
Treatment
Cervicogenic vertigo and disequilibrium can be treated by a chiropractor.
In a 1991 study by Fitz-Ritson, patients with post-traumatic (injury-inflicted) cervicogenic vertigo received manipulative, myofascial (the fibrous tissues separating different layers of tissue) and rehabilitative chiropractic treatment with a 90 percent success rate.
Movement Correction
An important part of treatment is the detection and correction of faulty movement patterns that involve the cervical spine. The cervical spine begins at the base of the neck and is made up of seven vertebrae with eight pairs of cervical nerves.
Imbalance in activity between the deep neck flexors and upper cervical extensors is the cause of these faulty movement patterns, which include cervical flexion, sit-to-stand, breathing and swallowing.
Stretching or inhibiting the tight or hyperactive upper cervical extensors and facilitation of the deep neck flexors with hands-on techniques or subcortical exercises are ways chiropractors use to correct these imbalances.
Solution
If you are suffering from dizziness that fits the categories of disequilibrium or vertigo, talk to your doctor about the possibility of cervical origin and chiropractic treatment.
Tags: cervical spine, deep neck, deep neck flexors, neck flexors, cervical extensors, cervical origin, cervical spine conditions