Neck tension --cause or effect?

One of the most asked questions on support groups: IS MY NECK CAUSING MY DIZZINESS?
No, this is most likely not the cause. I will explain you why.

Why do I experience a lot of neck tension?
People with vestibular disorders experience a lot of symptoms on a daily basis. The body gives a natural reaction to brace itself against this horrible feelings. So how does it do that? It tries to tense up your neck to avoid an increase in symptoms. Bracing neck = decreasing proprioceptive symptoms = less vestibular conflict. When you suffer from chronic dizziness, you are often visually dependent. This means that your brain is trying to put less emphasis on your bodily sensations and vestibular organ for balance. When this happens, the brain is getting the most information from your vision, which is not reliable enough.
Bracing your neck is another way to reduce your symptoms, but unfortunately only increases visually dependence.
How to fix this? You want to progressively release your neck, so your body can get used to your proprioceptive signals for balance. Remember to do this gradually, because symptoms can increase a lot if you fully relax your neck and body. It’s about “getting over the hill”. Once you reach a certain level of symptom mangement, it gets easier and easier to relax with your symptoms, which will help over time to decrease visual dependence.

I know it’s really hard to practice these kind of things, but recovery really happens in discomfort. I promise you it gets better!

Contact me if you have any questions!