Vertigo

Restoring Balance and Stability Through Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

Understanding Vertigo

Vertigo isn’t just occasional dizziness—it’s a disorienting, often debilitating sensation that makes you feel like the world is spinning around you. Many people describe it as feeling off balance, lightheaded, or as if they might fall even when standing still.

At Atlas Specific Chiropractic in Hiawatha, Iowa, we see patients every week who have struggled with vertigo for months or even years. They’ve often tried physical therapy, Epley’s Maneuver, or vestibular therapy, only to find temporary relief or none at all. That’s because in many cases, vertigo doesn’t originate in the inner ear—it starts in the neck.

What Is Cervicogenic Vertigo?

Cervicogenic vertigo is dizziness that arises from dysfunction in the cervical spine, particularly the upper cervical region—the top two vertebrae known as the atlas (C1) and axis (C2).

When these vertebrae shift even slightly out of their normal position, they can irritate nerves, alter blood flow to the brain, and disrupt communication between your neck, eyes, and inner ear—all of which play key roles in balance and spatial orientation.

Common signs that vertigo may be cervicogenic include:

-Dizziness triggered or worsened by neck movement
-Head or neck pain associated with spinning sensations
-Muscle tension or stiffness in the neck and shoulders
-A history of whiplash, concussion, or head injury

If that sounds familiar, the source of your vertigo may not be your inner ear at all—it could be your upper neck.

Why Traditional Treatments Sometimes Fall Short

Traditional vertigo treatments like Epley’s Maneuver, vestibular rehabilitation, and balance therapy focus on the inner ear and surrounding structures. While these approaches can help for conditions like BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo), they often fail to resolve cervicogenic vertigo because they don’t address the underlying structural misalignment in the neck.

If you’ve completed multiple rounds of therapy and still experience dizziness, imbalance, or “floating” sensations, it’s time to look deeper—specifically, at the upper cervical spine and how it affects the brainstem and vestibular system.

The Upper Cervical Connection

Your brainstem, located where your brain meets your spinal cord, processes vital information from your eyes, ears, and body to maintain balance and coordination. The atlas and axis vertebrae surround this critical area, so even small misalignments can disrupt communication between your body and brain.

At Atlas Specific Chiropractic, we use advanced diagnostic technology—including Tytron thermographic scans and 3-view precision x-rays—to identify misalignments down to the one one-hundredth of a degree and millimeter.

Once we pinpoint the problem, we perform a gentle correction using the AHKC (Advanced HIO Knee-Chest) technique. This non-invasive, precise adjustment restores alignment without twisting, cracking, or popping—allowing the nervous system to function properly again.

As nerve interference decreases and blood flow improves, many patients report:

-Reduced dizziness and spinning
-Better balance and stability
-Decreased neck tension
-Improved focus and overall energy

Why Patients Choose Atlas Specific Chiropractic

Our approach is different because it’s both precise and personalized. We don’t rely on generic adjustments or guesswork. Every correction is based on your unique anatomy and verified through follow-up scans to ensure it held properly.

We often help patients who have exhausted other forms of care and are told they “just have to live with it.” By addressing the root cause in the neck, rather than chasing symptoms, upper cervical chiropractic care offers a new solution for people living with chronic vertigo.

Regain Your Sense of Balance

If you’ve been living with vertigo despite trying physical therapy, Epley’s Maneuver, or vestibular rehabilitation, there’s still hope. Cervicogenic vertigo can often be corrected safely and naturally through precise upper cervical chiropractic care.

At Atlas Specific Chiropractic in Hiawatha, IA, we’re dedicated to helping you regain control, stability, and confidence in your daily life.

📞 Call (319) 343-8540 or schedule your first visit today to learn how our specific, gentle approach can help you find balance again—naturally.