In my time in practice, I see many cases where dizziness is either the main reason someone seeks care, or one of several symptoms they present with.

For some people, dizziness comes and goes. When it’s brief and predictable, it may not significantly limit life. It can be completely normal in certain situations. If we spin around on a merry-go-round or step off a fast fairground ride, we expect our balance system to feel overwhelmed for a moment. The vestibular system. The system responsible for helping us make sense of movement, speed, and direction is simply trying to recalibrate.

That kind of dizziness usually passes.

What I hear from many clients, however, is something very different.

For them, the sensation doesn’t ease. It lingers. Or even the smallest challenge like turning too quickly, walking on uneven ground, riding in a car can create a disproportionate sense of chaos in the nervous system. The body struggles to make sense of what’s happening.

So what might be going on?

Let’s take a step back.

The nervous system is constantly surveying the environment. Temperature, pressure, gravity, movement, force. It does this by collecting information from throughout the body and sending it to the brain, where it’s processed and organised. For this system to work well, the information needs to be clear and accurate. The brain relies on good input to produce appropriate output.

If the nervous system can’t accurately adapt to its environment. Particularly environments involving rapid changes in direction, speed, or force. The systems designed to monitor those changes can struggle. These include the inner ear and the mechanoreceptors in the upper neck.

The vestibular system is complex. In a well-functioning nervous system, it takes in huge amounts of information and makes constant micro-adjustments. Eye position, posture, balance, and movement all can be adjusted without us ever being aware of it.

When that process becomes disrupted, the person’s subjective experience can be dizziness.

Suddenly, walking on uneven ground feels unsafe. Visual stimulation becomes overwhelming. Busy supermarkets, fast-moving traffic, stairs, lifts, and escalators can provoke nausea, anxiety, or disorientation. Things that were once automatic now require enormous effort.

Most people do what they believe is the right thing. They go to their GP, hoping to find answers.

Sometimes clear causes are identified: structural damage, inner ear pathology, neurological conditions, or findings visible on imaging such as MRI. But often, when nothing “sinister” is found, people are told everything looks normal.

And yet, they don’t feel normal.

They’re left without a clear explanation or plan. This process can repeat itself for months, sometimes years.

I recently worked with a client who shared that as time went on, their symptoms didn’t just affect their balance. Their confidence, independence, and sense of safety all started to disappear. Leaving the house became frightening. Trips to the supermarket felt impossible. Driving was out of the question. Keeping up with responsibilities as a parent or partner became overwhelming. Even something so simple and human like walking down a dark hallway at night to go to the toilet, felt like a major obstacle.

Over time, they described feeling like their world was shrinking.

I’ve been fortunate not to experience this personally. But I have suffered from travel sickness my entire life. I’ve often wondered why. Perhaps it’s a mismatch between visual and motion input. Perhaps it’s the nervous system struggling to reconcile conflicting information. Nausea may be a sign that the system has reached its limit of adaptation.

In my case, removing myself from the environment usually brings relief.

I can’t imagine what it would be like if that sensation didn’t stop. Not to mention if it were triggered by the smallest movement, day after day.

Many clients eventually begin to notice patterns.

Neck discomfort. A sense of stiffness or asymmetry. A history of falls, sports injuries, car accidents, or childhood knocks involving the head or neck. Strange sounds when turning the neck from side to side. Certain movements that feel restricted or uncomfortable.

At first these things may seem unrelated. They’re often dismissed as “just muscular”, which isn’t necessarily wrong

but it may not be the whole picture.

Over time, the pieces begin to connect. The dizziness worsens when the neck is sore. Movements that challenge the neck seem to provoke symptoms. Physical strain increases the sense of imbalance. When they’re tired or stressed it really starts to amplify things.

This is where we begin to ask deeper questions.

Could the upper neck influence how the nervous system processes balance and movement? Could a nervous system already under stress be easily affected by small things?

Through years of clinical experience and countless patient stories, we believe it can play a role in some cases.

A thorough assessment of the upper cervical spine can reveal findings that aren’t always obvious. These joints exist to protect the spinal cord and support the nervous system, and when their mechanics or ability to tolerate loads are altered, it may influence how information is transmitted.

Our imaging and assessment processes allow us to evaluate joint angles, structural asymmetries, and signs of long-standing mechanical stress. This information helps us determine whether a precise, conservative correction may be appropriate. And most importantly, using the least amount of force necessary to support the body’s ability to restore balance.

Many people we see have tried other forms of care. Some found temporary relief. Others didn’t notice change, or even felt worse. Non-specific approaches don’t always produce specific results. Particularly in sensitive areas like the upper neck.

We find that when care is delivered, where it’s applied, and how much force is used matters.

Our role is to assess and measure objectively, then apply the smallest effective input at the right time. Allowing the body to change. What we notice next can sometimes be surprising to those who have suffered for so long. What we believe is that it’s physiology doing what it was designed to do.

My hope in sharing this is that someone reading it doesn’t wait. That they don’t assume there’s no hope, or slowly watch their independence fade without knowing there may be other avenues to explore.

Once serious pathology has been ruled out and safety has been established, it’s reasonable to ask whether supporting the nervous system’s ability to adapt in a conservative, non-invasive way might be worth considering before moving further down the path of long-term medication or invasive procedures.

Dizziness can seem like a small thing until it isn’t.

When it’s brief and predictable, it’s manageable. But when episodes turn into a constant state and everyday life becomes uncertain. You start to question and when it will ever stop that’s when it can become unbearable.

If this resonates with you, please reach out. Speak with one of our chiropractors. We’ll let you know honestly whether an assessment is appropriate. If we believe we can help, we’ll make our best recommendation and outline clear next steps.

One thing we hear time and time again is: “I wish I’d known about this sooner.”

If this helps even one person feel less alone, or encourages them to explore an option they didn’t know existed, then it’s worth sharing.

Yours in health,

Ryan Copleston

Disclaimer

Dizziness has many possible causes. If it’s sudden, severe, new, worsening, or comes with symptoms like weakness, numbness, slurred speech, severe headache, fainting, chest pain, fever, or new hearing loss – seek urgent medical assessment.

Clinical imaging is only taken if justified following a comprehensive examination.