Hi All,

Just wanted to explain what happened to me at the physiotherapist today and see if any of you have experienced anything like this (somehow I doubt it)! My neck has been pretty horrible lately and I've had some new pain in my little fingers from nerve compression at the C5 - C7 level. So she started gently palpating this area to get it moving and almost immediately I started feeling this horrible nausea in my stomach....I felt freaked out and this sweat broke out. My "unbalance" felt worse too. It was the same feeling I had the day I got lab and, on that day, I did this particualr bunch of stretches that moved this area of my spine. Is this some weird coincidence or could my problems be partly due to something happening in the C5-C7 area? And yet it seems unlikely because all of the main nerves for the inner ear are much higher up the cervical spine. A few minutes ago I took a break from the PC, did some light arm stretches (which don't normally cause problems) and bang...the nausea again plus blurry vision and feeling more spaced out. What's more, the longer I stare at the screen, the words on the screen start moving back and forth!! This is a new symptom....it's freakin me out. WHEN will this junk end?????

Scott :eek:

Hi Scotsman,

Dizziness and vertigo can be caused by the neck - do a search on The sternocloidmastoid syndrome. there's also something called thoracic outlet syndrome. Don't know much about it but someone else on here had it a while back.

The probably much more likely possibility is that you are more susceptible to manipulations in your neck as it also plays a big part in your balance. If your ear is out of whack, then any other changes in input are more likely to throw your balance off. I tend to get a bit dizzier after a massage. I know Emsybobs was recently told by a neuto oto to watch for osteopathic manipulations etc as it can mess up the signals to the brain. Not that you should stop physio, a bad neck will surely also hinder compensation and needs treating.

By the way , I sympathise with the neck disaster - mine is driving me nuts. I'm having unrelenting headaches and I think some of it is emanating from having a neck that feels like it's made of steel.

best,

hbep

best,

hbep

Thanks hbep,

I think you're right here in that neck manip can muck up the signals. But the instant nausea was really weird....it was like she was pushing a red button with nausea written on it....really freaked me out. Even now there's periods of nausea happening depending on how I hold my upper back since the manipulation. I guess the nerve is all wound up.

Thought I'd share a happy story with you. Over the long weekend I was on the south coast (about 150 km south of Sydney). We were sitting in a cafe one morning and I started talking to the owner who was about 32. Anyway, I ordered a decaf coffee and he said something like...on the caffeine wagon are we? I then said, no...I'm a dizzy, anxious Sydney nut who is battling an inner ear infection. He then said, "I had that!!!" I couldn't believe it. So here's his story in a nutshell: He had viral lab that left him dizzy, anxious and totally spooked :eek: for a solid 4 months (lucky I thought). He had all of the symptoms we all go on about. On top of that he had terrible neck pain that persisted for one year! He killed it by seeing a chiro for that year. Anyway, he's 100% now (it happened 4 years ago) but still says he can get an "off" day. He reckoned if he didn't drink enough water or was tired he could get that old feeling again. I was very happy to hear this story and know he got over it. So hang in there.....we'll get there!

Take care.......Scott

A fab story scott (though know what you mean about himbeing lucky!) Wouldnt I have liked to just have had this for 4 mths as opposed to 18 and counting...

Agree with hbep that any massage or stuff with the neck can upset your dizziness if you have a vestibular problem...this does not necessarily mean your prob is neck...I doubt with the dizziness youve had that it is...and youve improved such a lot...so I really would not worry...

Sorry you're not feeling good hbep...hope you improve soon xxx

Hi!

Just popping in my two cents: I need to have the muscles in my neck rubbed occasionally due to the constant neck aches that I have (I think from sleeping so tightly and with my head at an angle). The aches are overwhelming for me sometimes.

With that said, I also will get woozier if my neck is being rubbed at certain times. I am not sure if it's because I am "protective" of my head and neck and get nervous when it's being touched, or the rubbing truly increases my symptoms.

I always have a headache on some level, every day, and I KNOW that my tight neck adds to my headache and my diseqilibrium sensations.

I went to a chiro a few years back JUST to have my neck manipulated. I HATED it, but after a few months of just neck manipulation, my neck aches and head aches decreased as did some of my wooziness. Since that time, I am now able to crack my neck by myself by simply turning my head slowly from side to side. I have found that when I get a "crack" out of my neck, a lot of the immediate sharp neck pain disappears. I feel that the chiro helped loosen up when needed to be loosened - and in that regard, those visits to him helped.

To combat my tight neck muscles now, a few times a day I will "force" my shoulders towards the ground while I am sitting up straight. This stretches out the tight, short muscles between my neck and shoulder blades. I do this a few times during my work day, as I sit at the computer a lot. I also will gently lower one shoulder and tilt my head upwards on the opposite side - also a stretch. I also rotate my shoulders in exaggerate motions. Shoulder rotation also increases blood flow to tha area, which aides in relieving tight muscles (more blood flow, less muscle tightness).

I can get some really tight muscles (knots) in the shoulder/neck area, that can make me nauseaus. When they get THAT tight, I need to take aspirin, get a rub with BenGay, and use a heating pad. When my neck muscles are this tight, my headaches can get phenomenal and make me feel sick.

My neck pain is not always as bad as the headaches, but lately, I am ready to get a new neck.

Take care.

Yep...I do think that although some of the advice ive had to stay clear of massage etc cos of it intefering with balance/inner ear, I continue to have osteopathy every 6-8 weeks as it keeps my neck in check. I am now at the level of getting a tension headache once every 2 weeks as oppsed to 5 times a week a few years back!

Everyone is different but ive had bad experiences with chiropractor's...for years I went and it made my neck problem worse...it did nothing for me and I have also been told that the manipulations they do are not good - cause wear and tear on bones and can cause big problems. PERSONALLY I like mild osteopathy - I simply have my muscles "stretched" which eases the tension hugely. I have been told my prob is purely muscular, not jointor bone related so manipulations are pointless as they can increase muscualr tension rather than lessen it...

xxx

Yes I've been through the chiro and osteo manipulations bit, as well as different kinds of massage techniques, overall they didn't help, some temporary relief but that's all. Frankly my neck is so bad now I'm loathe to let anybody touch it, maybe a good well trained physio, but the very thought of anybody manipulating it gives me the horrors. Gosh hbep don't I relate to that "neck feels like its made from steel" comment, I feel like the whole musculature structure of my head and neck is turning to concrete, tight, tight and tighter and being stretched, it's a wonder it doesn't crack. And yet this undulating wavelike movement still keeps going, two totally contradictory and totally opposing feelings. Didn't I read somewhere that we also have balance centres in the neck and the lower back etc?

Thanks for all the replies!

Wowweee, I like the stretches you discussed. They are gentle but sound effective and I will try this. I find if I try the other more common stretches such as chin tucked and bending chin to chest, or simply bending the neck right to left at varying degrees it makes my neck worse. It's like the muscles are already freaking out and by doing this they simply lock up into spasm even more. Then the next day is a shocker. You know even the mountain biking I was doing over the last two days caused serious stiffness in my shoulders, neck and arms. I couldn't believe it....it's like there's still a virus hanging out in my muscles. It takes virtually nothing to make them ache whereas before I could ride all over the place and feel nothing.

Ninamarie, your concrete description is spot on....in fact the dizzier I feel at times, the more I can feel the tightness increasing in my neck. It's like this protective mechanism is being activated by those muscles to stop my head from rolling off into the abyss. And it's impossible to stop the contraction unless I lie down or support my head in some way.

Bobs....I thought the same thing when he told me it was 4 months. Quietly in my mind I thought...you lucky bugger....if only I could be so lucky. I started seeing a chiro a few weeks ago and think I will stick with it even though I have been skeptical too. I really trust this guy and feel he truly wants to see me get better unlike other practitioners I have seen where you feel more like a number. He's bent over backwards to accomodate my financial status too (ie student rate) and has even waived a few fees. So lets hope I'm as lucky as the 4 month guy with the neck situation.

hbep....I'm pretty certain I had some inner ear thing go down in August. I was definitely super viral for the first 2 weeks, ears burning etc. Just find it so bizarre that pushing on C6 can promote instant nausea. Perhaps this whole condition has sensitised the nervous system.

Cheers.....Scott x