Dizziness That Comes From the Neck

Not all dizziness comes from the inner ear.

The joints of your upper neck feed your brain a constant stream of information about where your head is in space. When those joints are stiff, or the muscles around them are guarding — often after whiplash, a fall, or long hours at a desk — that signal can conflict with what your eyes and inner ear are reporting. Your brain receives two versions of the same story.

The result is usually described as unsteadiness, light-headedness or a swimming sensation rather than the violent spinning of true vertigo. It tends to be worse when turning or tilting the head, and it commonly arrives alongside neck stiffness and headache. This is known as cervicogenic dizziness, and careful treatment of the upper neck is often what settles it.

Assessment matters here more than with most complaints, because dizziness has causes that have nothing to do with the neck — BPPV and other inner-ear conditions, blood pressure, medication, and less commonly something that needs urgent medical attention. We screen for these first. If your presentation points away from the neck, we will say so and direct you to your GP, an ENT specialist or a vestibular physiotherapist rather than treating something we cannot help.

If your dizziness came on with neck pain or stiffness, or you notice it most when you turn your head, it is worth having your neck assessed.