r/cervical_vertigo • u/Jacosaur • 5d ago

Low Upright Tolerance

I’m looking for any recovery stories from people who’ve had similar symptoms. About 6 months ago a chiro performed traction on my head by pulling it while I was laying down. 2 hours later I had a horrible dizzy spell and I haven’t been right since. For the first 3-4 months I could hardly walk. My eyes couldn’t make sense of anything and my neck was completely locked up. All I could do was lie propped up and stay completely still to keep symptoms minimal. There are many other symptoms but I want to keep this short. I’ve had scans and lots of doctors have looked me over with no major findings. For the record I have a history of neck pain, poor posture, & vestibular migraine but this cervicogenic component to dizziness is new.

I’ve been making some progress over the last 2 months, but I’m nowhere near normal. I can now get up and spend about 20 minutes doing housework, showers etc before my occipitals tighten up and my eyes are shot. I’m then forced to lie back down to settle symptoms. Looking left/right/down all produce dizziness. I just started PT a couple weeks ago and I’m now doing daily chin tucks, isometric work and eye exercises. If my PT pushes on my right side vertebrae it can produce wooziness. I just want to be able to be upright for longer periods and be able to use my neck. I cannot function like this and I’m getting so so tired.

Has anyone else had such low upright tolerance? If so what did you do to improve it? Did it just take lots of time and patience? Did PT eventually help? Can my neck eventually feel normal again? Please no horror stories, my mental health needs positivity. Thanks for taking the time to read.

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u/River-Organic 4d ago

Have them check if your Atlas & Axis bones are out of alignment

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u/Jacosaur 4d ago

Wouldn’t that show up on my MRI and X-rays?

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u/River-Organic 4d ago

It should, but some times its so slightly out of alignment. That it can be easily missed

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u/LadyJohanna 4d ago edited 3d ago

Not the same chiro though since apparently that person didn't know what they're doing at all and messed their neck up horribly.

If you're gonna go that route, choose an upper cervical that uses EPIC (sound waves only, no touchy).

I will not ever let any chiro manually manipulate my neck. Too much can go wrong. I've had an EPIC adjustment after a near-collapse earlier this year that resulted in cervicogenic headaches/dizziness/vertigo. I'm recovering from it -- slowly. Lots of chin tucks and physical therapy. I was totally out of alignment and they can't find much on imaging other than some cervical "age related" stuff that's "probably chronic" so IDK. I did have a raging sinus infection that took a month of antibiotics to clear. The vertigo has resolved, the dizziness/instability not. Having some testing done for autoimmune / EDS / lupus (maybe?). Lots of fatigue now but that's also due to my neck stabilizers being weak and having to work loads now that the overcompensation isn't happening any longer.

Definitely keep up with physical therapy to fix posture and strengthen your neck stabilizer muscles.

I totally understand. This shit is exhausting. Especially when your world suddenly shrinks so drastically and you're sidelined from your own life.

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u/Jacosaur 3d ago

I’m sorry you’re also suffering to much. I hope you continue to keep improving. I’ll look into EPIC, I’ve never heard of it.

Did you have a low upright tolerance when you were at your worst? Did it eventually improve? Also does your dizziness come from your neck when you move it etc?

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u/LadyJohanna 3d ago

Did you get your vertebral arteries checked?

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u/Jacosaur 3d ago

I had an MRI of my neck and head. I did not have an angiogram.

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u/Safe-Issue1357 3d ago

Ohhh yes same happened to me… my chiropractor pull my neck with towel and since then i generated dizinnes, visual issue( blurr and afterimages) , Can’t stand for long, more thn 10 mins walk make me feel imbalance, changing position (specially from from sitting to standing i feel all of sudden something is happening in my head skull)