Steady ground again: a brain-based approach to vertigo
Vertigo is the sensation of feeling off-balance, spinning, tilting, or being pulled in one direction. Inner-ear problems are one cause, but the upper neck's role in balance signaling is often overlooked.
What is vertigo?
Vertigo is the sensation of feeling off-balance. During dizzy spells you might feel like you are spinning, or that the world is spinning around you. An inner-ear problem is one common cause, but other causes include BPPV, Meniere's disease, vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis, head or neck injury, migraine, certain medications, and, rarely, brain problems such as stroke or tumor.
Precise NUCCA assessments help determine the root cause of your dizziness, whether it's one of the causes listed above or not.
Common symptoms alongside dizziness
- Spinning, tilting, or swaying sensations
- Feeling pulled in one direction
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abnormal or jerking eye movements (nystagmus)
- Headache
- Sweating
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or hearing loss
A brain-based approach
How does NUCCA help?
The upper third of your neck is far more mobile and complex than the rest. It functions like a relay station for brain communication.
When an old injury damages the ligaments supporting your neck alignment, the head and neck can become slightly misaligned. That sets off three problems:
- The suboccipital muscles carry high amounts of proprioceptive input. They tell your brain where your head is in space. When that mechanism isn't working right, you may become dizzy.
- Those same muscles connect with the vestibular (balance), oculomotor (eye movement), and visual pathways. Interference in any of these tracts can produce dizziness and vertigo.
- Inflammation and irritation near the brainstem can degrade signaling between brain and body, even signals from your feet, creating challenges with balance.
Our specialized care will
- Restore proper muscle tone
- Resolve neck-head mismatch signals which cause dizziness
- Improve brain-body communication to improve balance
A patient’s story
Google review“I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Radwanski. She is amazing. I have vertigo and after 1 alignment I am already starting to feel better. She is extremely personable and cares about your issues. Would highly recommend!”
Get Started
We know dizziness & vertigo can interrupt your daily life.
It doesn't have to stay that way. Schedule your assessment, we'll tell you honestly at your first visit whether we believe we can help.
Board Certified NUCCA · Gentle, Precise Corrections · Branchburg, NJ