Cervicogenic dizziness is rooted in an issue that comes from the cervical spine/neck. Dizziness with this condition typically occurs when there is a change in head position or after holding a head position for prolonged periods.
Symptoms that can accompany cervicogenic dizziness include:
- Dizziness
- Neck pain
- Headache
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Unsteady/Loss of balance with head movements or movement in the environment
Duration:
During each bout of dizziness, it is variable and can last as short as minutes or sometimes hours.
How Does Cervicogenic Dizziness occur?
After injury to the neck/head, dysfunction in the neck occurs. This can result in incorrect information being communicated to the brain about where the head is located in space. When the brain receives the incorrect information from the neck and correct information from other senses this leads to conflicting information and resultant dizziness.
Contributors to Dizziness include:
- Whiplash
- Head injuries
Diagnosis of cervicogenic dizziness is performed by exclusion – determined by ruling out all other possible causes.
To rule in cervicogenic dizziness, a series of tests can be performed:
- Eye-head coordination
- Eye Tests
- Cervical Position Sense
Here is an example of the first test being performed:
At Movement Performance Centre, we understand that there are multiple possible causes of dizziness. Through a series of tests, we will identify the root cause of the dizziness and treat it accordingly to help you get back to the activities you enjoy.
Author: Zachary Hum MScPT BAKin
