Why dizziness gets more common as the seasons change
Why the upper neck matters more than most people realise — and when to seek help
Dizziness is one of the most common symptoms we see in practice, and it isn't a single thing. People use the word to describe several quite different experiences: the room spinning, a floating or swimmy feeling, light-headedness on standing, or a vague sense of being unsteady on their feet.
Those distinctions matter, because they point in different directions. Part of any good assessment is working out which one you're actually describing.
What causes dizziness?
There is a long list, and it's worth being clear that not all of it is musculoskeletal. Inner ear conditions such as BPPV, vestibular neuritis and Ménière's disease are common causes. So are blood pressure changes, dehydration, anaemia, medication side effects, migraine and anxiety.
This is why the first step is usually not an osteopath. If dizziness is new, persistent or worrying, a GP appointment to check blood pressure, ears, bloods and your current medication is the sensible starting point. We would rather you did that first, and we will often say so.
Where the neck comes in
Once those causes have been considered, there is a further piece that often gets overlooked.
Your sense of balance draws on three streams of information: your inner ear, your eyes, and position sensors in your muscles and joints. The upper neck is unusually dense with those sensors — the joints between the skull and the top two vertebrae are among the most richly supplied in the body, and they feed directly into the same brainstem centres that process balance.
When the upper neck is stiff, irritated or held tightly, the information it sends can conflict with what the ears and eyes are reporting. The result is often described as fogginess, unsteadiness or a swimmy feeling rather than true spinning, and it frequently travels with neck stiffness or headaches at the base of the skull.
This is sometimes called cervicogenic dizziness. It's a diagnosis of exclusion, which means it's what remains once other causes have been reasonably ruled out — not a first assumption.
Why autumn?
We see reports of dizziness climb as the weather turns, and there are a few plausible reasons.
Colds and sinus congestion affect the ear and sinus systems directly. The coughing and sneezing that come with them load the neck repeatedly. People move less and sit more as the days shorten. Heating dries the air and dehydration creeps up. And for those prone to it, seasonal change is a common migraine trigger.
None of these is dramatic on its own. Together they tip people who were already close to their threshold over it.
Six things that help
1) Get the basics checked. Blood pressure, ears, and any medication you're taking. Start with your GP if you haven't.
2) Notice the pattern. Dizziness when you roll over in bed points somewhere quite different from dizziness that builds after an hour at a desk. Keeping a short note of when it happens, how long it lasts and what you were doing is the most useful thing you can bring to an appointment.
3)Don't hold your neck still. Bracing is a natural response when movement makes you feel unsteady, but a guarded neck tends to make things worse over time. Gentle movement within your comfort settles it faster than protecting it does.
4) Watch the sniffle season. If a cold has left you congested and coughing, expect your neck to have taken a battering too.
5) Mind sleep, hydration and stress. Balance is one of the first things to suffer when you're tired or running on empty. Unglamorous, but it makes a real difference.
6) Move your eyes as well as your head. Balance systems recalibrate through use. Slow, deliberate head turns while keeping your eyes fixed on a point can help, provided they don't provoke symptoms. If they do, stop and get assessed first.
When to seek help sooner
Some symptoms need same-day medical attention rather than an osteopathy appointment. Contact your GP urgently, or call 999, if dizziness comes alongside:
- a sudden severe headache unlike your usual pattern
- double vision or loss of vision
- difficulty speaking or swallowing
- weakness, numbness or clumsiness in the face, arms or legs
- fainting, chest pain or palpitations
- a recent head or neck injury
How we can help
An osteopathic assessment for dizziness starts with working out what kind of dizziness you have and whether it is something we should be treating at all. That means a proper history, a screen of the things that need excluding, and an examination of the neck, jaw and upper back.
Where the neck is contributing, treatment usually involves hands-on work to the upper neck and surrounding muscles, alongside advice on movement, posture and the balance exercises appropriate to your case. Where it isn't, we'll tell you and point you toward the right person.
If dizziness is affecting your day-to-day life, book an appointment or call us on 020 8985 2004 and we can talk through whether we're the right place to start.
This article is for general information and isn't a substitute for individual clinical assessment. If you're concerned about your symptoms, please speak to your GP or contact us directly.
