Cervical vertigo is caused by head or neck trauma and can result in symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, and a feeling of spinning. Diagnosis involves imaging tests, and treatment can include medication, physical therapy, or surgery. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common cause of cervical vertigo, and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Doctors may recommend physical therapy and medication or surgery to manage symptoms.
Cervical vertigo is a condition associated with movement of the head or neck. Some symptoms include a feeling of spinning or spinning around a room. The causes of cervical vertigo usually result from trauma to the inner ear, head, or neck. Doctors usually diagnose this type of vertigo after a series of imaging tests. Treatment often includes medications, head and neck physical therapy, or surgery.
The vertigo problem occurs depending on the posture of the neck or the movement of the head. Simply turning the head to the left or right while sitting or lying down can cause neck dizziness in some people. Other head and eye movements can also trigger the condition. A sense of imbalance when standing or walking often indicates dizziness. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) refers to vertigo or vertigo associated with inner ear problems such as fluid accumulation.
Other symptoms range from mild to severe. Some patients may suffer only infrequent attacks of dizziness, while others may have recurrent episodes. Either way, the episodes usually last no more than a minute according to medical sources. In addition to a loss of balance, dizziness and lightheadedness indicate lightheadedness. Additional factors that indicate BPPV include sensations of walking around a room, blurred vision, and even nausea and vomiting.
Whiplash and other head and neck injuries may occasionally cause the patient to feel dizzy. Medical references also indicate that pain and stiffness from injuries, arthritis, neck surgery, and chiropractic adjustment treatments can contribute to BPPV or cervical dizziness due to vertebral abnormalities such as vascular compression syndrome. Rare causes of this type of vertigo include damage to the inner ear or conditions affecting the inner ear such as Meniere’s disease.
Your doctor may conduct a physical exam to evaluate for involuntary eye movements, dizziness associated with eye movements, and specific body positions that can cause dizziness. For example, the doctor may have the patient lie on their back, turn their head to one side, and position their head slightly over the edge of the table. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans the head and body to look for any tumors or lesions that could be causing dizziness. An ENG, or electronystagmography, involves the use of electrodes to examine abnormal eye movements. A videonystagmography checks for inner ear problems or involuntary eye movements that could be causing cervical vertigo.
To limit vertigo episodes, doctors suggest physical therapy and medications or surgery if other options don’t work. Light physical therapy emphasizes achieving proper range of motion and posture. Some medical sources recommend muscle relaxants or cervical blocks to reduce the pain and spasms associated with cervical dizziness. Another approach to preventing vertigo includes canal obstruction surgery in which surgeons insert a bone plug into part of the inner ear to stop dizziness caused by BPPV.
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