Medical Questions > Conditions and Diseases > Orthopedics Forum

Neck injury the cause of dizziness?(PIC)

Must Read
What is osteoporosis?
Think you might be experiencing bone loss? Check out this Intro to Osteoporosis and evaluate your risk for developing bone weakness. ...
Read more >>
Osteoporosis Causes and Risk Factors
Although bone mass loss is normal as we age, some people are more at risk of developing osteoporosis than others. Are you at risk? More here....
Read more >>
Osteoporosis Symptoms
Do you have severe back pain? Do your bones break frequently or with little pressure? You might be experiencing osteoporosis. Found out more here....
Read more >>
Conditions and Diseases
Neck injury that I got while wrestling
i have a crawling sensation behind the n...
Tingling sensation at the base of my nec...
Orthopedics
Nondisplaced fracture of Humerus Surgica...
suffered from # Lt femur neck top and op...
Is it a shoulder / neck strain, or more?
Related Topics
Mass in neck?
lump in left side of neck
I have a question about sore bumps in my...
February 9th, 2012
Iv had extreme dizziness for nearly 3 years now.Iv had every test you can think off,everything came back fine.i was getting desperate for a diagnoises and tried a chiropracter who did a xray on my neck,and on the open mount xray my atlas and axis was completely "off".He allso asked me to get my brain mri i had done last year on my brain that checks for tumours etc,as it may have my neck on it which it does.There doing adjustments but its not helping at all Sad is this really a serious injury?and could it really cause bad dizziness,vertigo,fatigue,weakness,nausea? would adjustments work or is this going to need surgery?

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/846/n eckmri.jpg/
Did you find this post helpful?
|
User Profile
Gaelic
replied February 11th, 2012
Especially eHealthy
Sunzz,

Atlantoaxial instability usually does not cause dizziness or problems with the brain. Compression of the cord at this less usually affects the breathing and cardiac functions. Cord transection at this level is not conducive with life. So, spine surgeons take atlantoaxial instability very seriously.

If you have clinically significant instability, you should not be having adjustments done, but should see a spine surgeon or neurosurgeon, for possible surgical stabilization.

Good luck.
|
Did you find this post helpful?
Users who thank Gaelic for this post: Sunzz 
Sunzz
replied February 11th, 2012
Gaelic wrote:
Sunzz,

Atlantoaxial instability usually does not cause dizziness or problems with the brain. Compression of the cord at this less usually affects the breathing and cardiac functions. Cord transection at this level is not conducive with life. So, spine surgeons take atlantoaxial instability very seriously.

If you have clinically significant instability, you should not be having adjustments done, but should see a spine surgeon or neurosurgeon, for possible surgical stabilization.

Good luck.


Thank you so much for messageing back it means sooo much Smile.im a bit confused tbh.so from that mri your opinion is Atlantoaxial instability?.im googling it but most of the stuff coming up is about down syndrome etc.i forgot to add that iv never had any serious accidents so the only thing we can think it was,was when i was born i had a bad birth,mum had to have foreceps etc. is there anything i can do in the mean time to help this? i live in the uk and the nhs waiting list is a average of a month+.sorry im not great with tech words Razz
|
Did you find this post helpful?
User Profile
Gaelic
replied February 11th, 2012
Especially eHealthy
Sunzz,

You wrote on your first posting that the chiropractor stated that "on the open mount x-ray my atlas and axis was completely "off"." That was what I was going on.

The one view of the MRI, which is for the brain, rather than for the spine specifically, the lateral masses line up perfectly with the axis. There is no widening or slipping. The lateral masses are a little unequal in size, but this can be due to slight rotation of the head during the scan.

So, from one view of a brain MRI, what is shown of the C1-C2 articulation, it is normal. But, you really can't make a complete reading off of one view. You would need to have the complete set of images read.

Unfortunately, chiropractors make a lot of money doing atlantoaxial adjustments. And, a lot a people get relief from them. However, if the mention AAI to a spine surgeon, it is a big deal to them. If an adult patient truly has rotatory subluxation of the atlas on the axis, it needs to be worked-up and treated.

While rotatory subluxation in a child is not uncommon after a sore throat, AAI in an adult is usually either congenital, due to trauma, or due to some underlying disorder (Down's being just one).


Again, if you get relief from the chiropractic manipulation, go for it. But, it would be nice to have a spine surgeon read the c-spine series, especially the open mouth view (which actually looks at the C1-C2 articulation), and not just the chiropractor.

That is an area that I would not have anyone mess around with. But, again, chiropractors do it all the time. It is really up to you, how far you want to go with the evaluation.


However, you may have to look for some other reason for the continued dizziness. It is probably not coming from the neck. There are so many causes of dizziness, from inner ear problems, neurological problems, cardiac conditions, pulmonary conditions, infections, inflammatory processes, metabolic disorders, and the list goes on.

It may be more productive to look further for a cause of the dizziness, besides the neck. Unfortunately, dizziness is so nonspecific, that it can sometimes take a long time till its actual etiology is discovered. But, you have to be persistent and keep looking.

Wishing you the best. Hope you find the cause of your dizziness soon. Hang in there.
|
Did you find this post helpful?
Sunzz
replied February 11th, 2012
Gaelic wrote:
Sunzz,

You wrote on your first posting that the chiropractor stated that "on the open mount x-ray my atlas and axis was completely "off"." That was what I was going on.

The one view of the MRI, which is for the brain, rather than for the spine specifically, the lateral masses line up perfectly with the axis. There is no widening or slipping. The lateral masses are a little unequal in size, but this can be due to slight rotation of the head during the scan.

So, from one view of a brain MRI, what is shown of the C1-C2 articulation, it is normal. But, you really can't make a complete reading off of one view. You would need to have the complete set of images read.

Unfortunately, chiropractors make a lot of money doing atlantoaxial adjustments. And, a lot a people get relief from them. However, if the mention AAI to a spine surgeon, it is a big deal to them. If an adult patient truly has rotatory subluxation of the atlas on the axis, it needs to be worked-up and treated.

While rotatory subluxation in a child is not uncommon after a sore throat, AAI in an adult is usually either congenital, due to trauma, or due to some underlying disorder (Down's being just one).


Again, if you get relief from the chiropractic manipulation, go for it. But, it would be nice to have a spine surgeon read the c-spine series, especially the open mouth view (which actually looks at the C1-C2 articulation), and not just the chiropractor.

That is an area that I would not have anyone mess around with. But, again, chiropractors do it all the time. It is really up to you, how far you want to go with the evaluation.


However, you may have to look for some other reason for the continued dizziness. It is probably not coming from the neck. There are so many causes of dizziness, from inner ear problems, neurological problems, cardiac conditions, pulmonary conditions, infections, inflammatory processes, metabolic disorders, and the list goes on.

It may be more productive to look further for a cause of the dizziness, besides the neck. Unfortunately, dizziness is so nonspecific, that it can sometimes take a long time till its actual etiology is discovered. But, you have to be persistent and keep looking.

Wishing you the best. Hope you find the cause of your dizziness soon. Hang in there.


thanks again for the reply.iv had ever test you can think of,MRI brain scan,CT scan on sinuses as i havea mucocele,hearing and eye tests,vestibular assesement for balance etc,blood tests,urine tests,ecg 24 hour,adrenal gland test,epilepsy(EEG).All came back fine,only thing thats been found is this neck problem.one of the first adjustments i had few hours later at home i went to lay down and my neck clicked,felt like if it went any further it would of broke as well as a sharp pain,within 5 minutes my dizziness was really bad and even my mum said my eyes r going funny,she could tell i was dizzy again.allso the chiros doing these for free,as hes trying to see if he can sort it but isnt sure he can,so we was going to try this and if not he would ref me back to gp with the reports etc.Thanks Smile
|
Did you find this post helpful?
User Profile
Gaelic
replied February 12th, 2012
Especially eHealthy
Sunzz,

Hang in there. Pain in the cervical region is known to cause "dizziness" and feelings of nausea, and just not feeling well. You can stimulate some of the upper cervical nerve roots, and some people will get the weak and dizzies from that.

Sounds like you have been through the wringer in terms of looking for a cause for your feelings of dizziness.

Chiropractic manipulation of the upper C-spine can help a lot of people, and if it helps you, great. But, it is probably more of a soft tissue issue than an AAI, though that is what the chiropractors wish to call it. When you say AAI to an orthopedic surgeon, they get scared. True AAI in an adult is a big problem.

So, again, hang in there. Dizziness is a very difficult symptoms to ferret out. Wishing you the best. Good luck.
|
Did you find this post helpful?
Sunzz
replied February 12th, 2012
thanks for your reply Smile il just have to wait and see i guess Sad
|
Did you find this post helpful?
Sign up for FREE weekly health tips!
... Saving
Ask a doctor

Featured Experts
JamesBogash
James Bogash
Chiropractic Medicine
eHealthPedia Articles
Bursitis
Bursitis Causes and Risk Factors
Bursitis Diagnosis
Bursitis Symptoms
Bursitis Treatment
Helpful Users This Week
Gaelic
Gaelic
4 helpful posts
chrisjs
chrisjs
1 helpful posts