Dizziness or Vertigo can cause great discomfort. They are not painful but a constant spinning or feeling of being unbalance puts a big strain on anybody.
Medically there is a small difference between the two, but both can be caused by several areas, including the inner ear, eye problems, medications, Meniere’s disease, and others.
What a lot of people don’t know that the neck is also a possible culprit.
The neck has the greatest concentration of proprioceptors. These are sensory receptors that tell your brain where you are in space (joint position sense). If your joints are restricted (stuck) then they can not fire correctly and can send a ‘messed up’ signal to your brain, and can be a cause of dizziness or vertigo.
A New Study shows that Chiropractic Adjustments Immediately improve joint position sense.
Gong, Wontae. Effects of cervical joint manipulation on joint position sense of normal adults. Journal of Physical Therapy Science 2013; 25:721–723.
Abstract
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of cervical joint manipulation on joint position sense (JPS) of normal adults. [Subjects] Thirty normal adults were divided into a test group of 15 subjects and a control group of 15 subjects. [Methods] The test group was treated with cervical joint manipulation and massage, whereas the control group received only massage. Both groups were evaluated in terms of joint position error (JPE) using a digital dual clinometer before and after the interventions. [Results] The comparision of the pre- and post-test results revealed the test group exhibited statistically significant changes in flexion, extension, left lateral flexion, right lateral flexion, left rotation, and right rotation. On the other hand, the control group showed no statistically significant changes in any of the variables. [Conclusion]Cervical joint manipulation reduced JPE and improved joint position sence. Therefore, we consider its application to the treatment of patients with cervical problems in clinical practice is desirable.