Dizziness and vertigo are unsettling symptoms that can have many different causes, most of which need medical assessment. It is important to say clearly from the outset that chiropractic care is not a treatment for vertigo itself. What we can sometimes help with is one specific contributor — dizziness related to problems in the neck — and only once appropriate medical assessment has taken place. At Back in Action in Penwortham, we take a careful, honest approach to people across Preston and Lancashire who are experiencing dizziness alongside neck problems.
Understanding dizziness and vertigo
“Dizziness” is a broad term covering several different sensations, from light-headedness to a spinning feeling known as vertigo. The body’s sense of balance depends on the inner ear, the eyes, and the position sensors in the body — including those in the neck — all feeding information to the brain. Because so many systems are involved, dizziness can arise from many sources, and working out the cause is a job that begins with proper medical assessment.
Common causes of dizziness and vertigo include inner-ear conditions such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and labyrinthitis, problems with blood pressure or circulation, the effects of medication, neurological conditions, and others. These are medical matters, and they are not something chiropractic care treats. Our interest is limited to a particular, less common contributor: dizziness that is related to dysfunction in the neck, sometimes called cervicogenic dizziness.
An important note: medical assessment comes first
This point matters enough to state on its own. Anyone experiencing new, recurrent or unexplained dizziness or vertigo should be assessed by their GP, so that the many possible medical causes can be properly considered and managed. We would never want our care to delay appropriate medical investigation. Only once a person has been assessed, and where the neck appears to be a genuine contributor alongside any medical management, would we consider whether addressing the neck might help. We work alongside medical care, never instead of it.
We take this seriously because some causes of dizziness are important and time-sensitive, and because a sense of unsteadiness also raises the risk of falls. Getting the right diagnosis first protects you, and it also means that any care we do provide is appropriate and properly targeted, rather than a shot in the dark.
What neck-related dizziness can feel like
Where the neck is a contributor, dizziness tends to have certain features, though these always need to be considered alongside medical assessment:
- A general sense of unsteadiness or imbalance, rather than the room clearly spinning
- Dizziness that occurs alongside neck pain or neck stiffness
- Symptoms that seem linked to neck movements or to sustained neck postures
- Associated tension headaches or upper-neck discomfort
- A clear relationship between symptoms and how the neck is positioned or moved
- A history of neck problems or a neck injury such as whiplash
- Unsteadiness that tends to ease when the neck is more comfortable
These features can suggest a neck contribution, but they overlap with other causes, which is exactly why medical assessment is needed to build the full picture.
When to seek urgent help
Some symptoms accompanying dizziness need urgent medical attention. Call 999 or seek emergency care if dizziness comes with sudden severe headache, weakness or numbness, difficulty speaking, facial drooping, visual loss, fainting, chest pain or palpitations, as these can indicate a serious problem. See your GP promptly for new, persistent, recurrent or unexplained dizziness so that the cause can be properly assessed.
How chiropractic care may help — and its limits
We want to be clear and honest about this. Chiropractic care does not treat vertigo or its medical causes. Where a person has been medically assessed and the neck appears to be contributing to a sense of unsteadiness, our care may help by addressing that neck component — through gentle mobilisation of the neck where movement is restricted, soft-tissue work to ease neck tension, and exercises for neck movement and control. Any benefit is directed at the neck-related contribution, not at the dizziness itself, and we will always work alongside your medical care. If we do not believe the neck is the issue, or if your symptoms concern us, we will say so and direct you back to your doctor.
We would rather be straightforward about these limits than raise false hopes. For many people with dizziness, the neck is not the answer, and the most useful thing we can do is to listen, take a careful history, and make sure you are pointed towards the right kind of help.
What to expect at Back in Action
Your first visit is mostly about understanding your symptoms and your wider situation, including what medical assessment you have already had and what your doctor has advised. We will take a careful history and, where appropriate, examine your neck and its movement, as well as how your symptoms behave. Crucially, if you have not yet been assessed by your GP for the dizziness, we will encourage you to do so first, and we will not press ahead with care that is not appropriate. We will explain our thinking in plain language and be honest about whether we believe we can help with a neck-related contribution.
You can read more on our new patients page, with current charges on the fees page. Where we do provide care, we will set realistic expectations and review your progress as we go.
Helping yourself
Alongside following any advice from your doctor, some general measures can be sensible:
- Make sure you have been properly assessed medically for the dizziness in the first instance
- Tell your doctor about any medications you take, as some can contribute to dizziness
- Move carefully, and avoid situations where a sudden dizzy spell could cause a fall or injury
- Change position slowly, particularly when getting up, if that tends to bring on symptoms
- Where neck tension is a feature, pay attention to your posture and to sustained neck positions
- Keep a note of when symptoms occur and what seems to bring them on, to share with your clinicians
- Follow any specific exercises or treatments your GP or specialist has recommended
- Stay gently active and look after your general health, which supports balance overall
If neck-related factors are part of your picture, we can build appropriate self-care advice into your plan, alongside your medical care.
Related conditions and treatments
Where the neck is involved, this overlaps with neck pain, whiplash, headaches and posture and balance problems. The care we provide draws on approaches such as chiropractic manipulation and exercise and rehabilitation, and may form part of a wider plan alongside our chiropractic and physiotherapy services — always alongside, and never instead of, appropriate medical care.
Take the first step
If you are experiencing dizziness alongside neck problems and have been assessed by your doctor, we are happy to talk through whether a neck-related contribution might be part of the picture. You can get in touch to ask any questions or to book an appointment.
This information is for general guidance and does not replace individual medical advice. Dizziness and vertigo should always be assessed by a doctor in the first instance.