How to Treat Cervicogenic Dizziness
How to train the deep neck flexors
January 8, 2023
How to treat Cervicogenic Dizziness
How to treat Cervicogenic Dizziness is a common question we get as clinicians that specialize in treating dizziness and cervical pain. This is very important as the correct treatment leads to the best outcomes.
We will break down the concepts for this question in subsequent paragraphs.
First of all, how to diagnose Cervicogenic Dizziness?
Cervicogenic dizziness is motion sensation disorder. The characteristics include the presence of imbalance, unsteadiness, disorientation, and neck pain. The symptoms are closely related to changes in cervical spine position or cervical joint movement.
It is a must to rule out competing diagnoses for dizzy symptoms. Cervicogenic dizziness, therefore, is an exclusion diagnosis.
Therefore, a clinician will need to have a process to assist in diagnosing cervicogenic dizziness.
What is the first step to treating Cervicogenic Dizziness?
A proper diagnosis will assist in finding what is the root cause of symptoms. The most common structures are the upper cervical spine joints and muscles. These areas have the highest influence of information to the brain to determine head and space orientation.
The altered information from these structures can lead to mismatch of signals.
For that reason, the goal is to change the vicious cycle of altered afferent input.
Manual therapy can be the quickest and specific intervention to restore proprioceptive input from muscles and joints.
In all, appropriate interventions should be implemented to help symptoms. This includes reducing cervical spine pain, improving cervical spine proprioception, improving cervico-ocular function, and restoring joint and soft tissue range of motion and mobility.
Cervicogenic Dizziness Course
What are the best procedures to help Cervicogenic Dizziness?
Manual therapy is beneficial for the treatment of cervicogenic dizziness. There are many techniques and approaches to provide these patients relief. It is safe and can have short- and long-term benefits.
Cervicogenic Dizziness management should start with manual medicine directed to the cervical structures to improve pain and function.
Only treating the cervical spine may not be the most optimal treatment approach for these patients. Other considerations must be factored. This includes treating the vestibular and ocular systems.
The following order of operations is recommended to achieve the best outcomes:
- Fascial mobilization
- Joint mobilization
- Pain relieving exercises to the cervical spine
- Motor control exercises to improve stability and strength of the neck
- Vestibular rehabilitation
- Peripheral Disorders
You can learn more about how to treat Cervicogenic Dizziness with our published book and course.