There are many different causes of dizziness including conditions of the inner ear, medication side effects, changes in blood pressure, or prolonged bed rest. Did you know that migraine headaches and painful neck conditions can also cause dizziness?
When migraine is accompanied by vertigo, neck pain may also be present. The neck symptoms can vary, but often include:
- Reduced range of motion
- Pain on one side of the neck, radiating to the temple, forehead, or eye
- Pain on one side of your cheek or face
- Pain at one or both sides of the base of your skull
- Sometimes, pain can radiate to one shoulder
Treating the neck symptoms often relieves the dizziness and lessens the severity of migraine symptoms. Saunders Therapy Centers’ physical therapists are experts at evaluating and treating musculoskeletal conditions of the neck, and can assess whether your dizziness is originating from migraine or neck symptoms.
What Does A Physical Therapist Do for Dizziness Related to Migraine or Neck Pain?
Vertigo disorders are multi-factorial in nature and require a thorough exam to identify contributing factors. Our approach:
- Musculoskeletal Evaluation: Your evaluation will include an assessment of your posture, muscle flexibility, muscle strength and gait analysis.
- Dizziness/Balance Evaluation: Your evaluation will also include balance testing, as well as positional testing designed to establish the source(s) of dizziness. Sometimes, we may do simple tests to check your eye movements as they related to your symptoms.
- Education: We spend time discussing your diagnosis and encourage self-management strategies as part of our comprehensive treatment approach.
- Treatment: Our aim is to get you feeling better from the first visit. Depending on the results from your exam, you may respond well to manual therapy, or hands-on techniques designed to improve the symmetry and tone in the muscles of the head and neck. Simple home exercises are often an important part of your treatment plan.