When people think of vertigo, they often picture the spinning sensation triggered by specific movements or inner ear issues. But one type of vertigo I see frequently in my office is Cervical Vertigo, and it’s a whole different ballgame. Unlike positional vertigo, which depends on how your body is situated, cervical vertigo is linked to your neck’s position. For instance, you might notice that every time you turn your head to the right and look up, the dizziness kicks in.
So, what’s going on here? The culprit is often the vertebral artery, one of the two main arteries that deliver blood to your brain. These arteries run along both sides of your neck, passing through openings in the first cervical vertebra, known as the Atlas, before heading into the skull. While your neck is designed to move freely, certain positions can compress one of these arteries if there’s a structural issue, like a misaligned Atlas.
Think of it like a garden hose. If the hose gets kinked, the water flow slows down, and the pressure drops. Similarly, when the vertebral artery is compressed, it reduces blood flow to your brain. This can disrupt the balance organs and trigger a vertigo episode.
A lot of my cervical vertigo patients have a similar story. They had some sort of trauma—like a car accident, sports injury, or whiplash—and, soon after, the vertigo began. What happens is that the trauma knocks the Atlas out of alignment. Unfortunately, the body can’t always return it to its proper position on its own, and this misalignment starts to interfere with the vertebral artery.
Dr. Scott Rosa, an upper cervical chiropractor in New York, has been studying this connection for years. Using upright MRI technology, he’s been able to demonstrate how adjusting the Atlas can restore proper blood flow to the brain. And here’s the good news: I’ve seen this play out in my own practice time and time again.
When a patient comes in complaining of vertigo, we start with a thorough evaluation. If we determine that the Atlas is misaligned, we perform a very gentle and precise adjustment. This adjustment restores the normal range of motion to the Atlas, eliminating the compression on the vertebral artery. For many of my patients, this means the vertigo is gone—or at least significantly improved.
If you’re in the Fort Myers area and dealing with vertigo, don’t hesitate to reach out. We offer a free screening to see if your neck might be the root cause. And if you’re reading this from somewhere else, I’d be more than happy to help connect you with an upper cervical chiropractor near you.
Don’t let vertigo keep spinning your life out of control. Give us a call at Upper Cervical Health Centers of Fort Myers to see if we can help. Your balance—and your peace of mind—may be just an adjustment away! Give us a call at 239-243-8810 to schedule your free consultation today.
