When the room won’t hold still.

Not every kind of dizziness is the same — and for some, the trouble traces back to the upper neck or the balance organs of the inner ear. Where it’s appropriate, gentle chiropractic care and repositioning maneuvers can help. When it isn’t, we say so and point you toward the right care.

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See the signs

At a glance

Often helped

Cervicogenic (neck-related) dizziness and BPPV

First step

Careful evaluation to rule out red flags

Approach

Gentle upper-cervical care, repositioning, refer when needed

The basics

What are vertigo & dizziness?

“Dizziness” is a broad word — it can mean lightheadedness, unsteadiness, or a foggy off-balance feeling. True vertigo is more specific: a spinning sensation, as if you or the room is moving when it isn’t. Sorting out which one you have is the first, most important step.

Your sense of balance is a team effort between your inner ears, your eyes, and the position sensors in your joints — and the upper neck is packed with those sensors. When the small joints and muscles at the top of the neck aren’t moving well, the signals they send can conflict with what your ears and eyes report, and the result can feel like dizziness or unsteadiness. This is called cervicogenic (neck-related) dizziness. A different, very common cause is BPPV — benign paroxysmal positional vertigo — where tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear drift out of place and trigger brief, intense spinning with certain head movements. Both of these can often be helped conservatively, but many other causes of dizziness cannot, which is why a careful evaluation matters more here than almost anywhere else.

The signs

What it can feel like.

A spinning sensation set off by rolling over in bed, looking up, or turning your head
Short, intense bursts of vertigo that settle after a few seconds to a minute
Unsteadiness or a “walking on a boat” feeling that comes with neck stiffness

Lightheadedness or a foggy, off-balance head that worsens with neck tension
Dizziness that tends to follow tight, achy shoulders or a stiff upper neck
Nausea or queasiness that rises and falls along with the dizzy spells

Some dizziness needs a medical work-up first — not chiropractic. Sudden, severe vertigo paired with slurred speech, facial or limb weakness, numbness, a severe new headache, double or lost vision, trouble walking, or fainting can signal a serious problem. If that’s you, treat it as an emergency and seek urgent medical care right away.

Where it starts

What’s actually causing it.

Upper-neck (cervicogenic)

The joints at the very top of the neck are dense with position sensors. When they stop moving smoothly, the balance signals they send can clash with your eyes and inner ears — and that mismatch can feel like unsteadiness or dizziness.

Inner-ear crystals (BPPV)

Tiny calcium crystals normally sit in one part of the inner ear. When they drift into a balance canal, certain head positions trigger short, intense spinning. This is BPPV — one of the most common and most treatable causes of true vertigo.

Muscle tension & posture

Long hours at a desk, a forward-head posture, and tight neck and shoulder muscles keep the upper neck loaded and irritated. That ongoing strain can feed the same faulty balance signals and leave you feeling foggy and off-balance.

Our approach

Careful first, then gentle.

Dizziness has many causes, and not all of them belong in a chiropractic office. We start by making sure yours is the kind we can safely help — and if it isn’t, we send you to the right place.

Evaluate & rule out red flags

We take a careful history, test how your neck moves, and check for the warning signs that call for medical evaluation. If your dizziness points to something outside our scope, we refer you promptly rather than treat around it.

Gentle care & repositioning

For neck-related dizziness, gentle low-force care restores motion to the upper cervical joints and eases muscle tension. Where BPPV is present, guided repositioning maneuvers can help move the inner-ear crystals back where they belong.

Stabilize & prevent

Once the spells settle, we work on keeping them settled — simple balance and neck-support exercises, posture and workstation adjustments, and a plan for what to do if symptoms return.

Vertigo & dizziness, specifically

Questions people ask.

Can a chiropractor help vertigo?

For certain kinds, yes. Cervicogenic (neck-related) dizziness often responds to gentle care that restores motion to the upper neck, and BPPV can frequently be helped with repositioning maneuvers that move the inner-ear crystals back into place. Other causes of dizziness need medical care instead — so the honest answer is that it depends on the cause, which is exactly what we evaluate first. We don’t guarantee outcomes.

Is it my neck or my ears?

They can feel similar, but the pattern gives clues. BPPV tends to cause brief, intense spinning triggered by specific head positions — rolling over in bed or tipping your head back. Neck-related dizziness leans more toward unsteadiness or fogginess that tracks with neck stiffness and tension. During your evaluation we use movement and position tests to help tell them apart, since each points to a different approach.

When should I see a medical doctor instead?

Right away if your vertigo comes on suddenly and severely with any of these: slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the face or limbs, a severe new headache, double or lost vision, trouble walking, or fainting. Those can signal something serious and need urgent medical evaluation, not a chiropractic visit. Dizziness with new hearing loss, ear discharge, or a recent head injury also belongs with a physician first.

Are the adjustments and maneuvers safe and gentle?

Dr. Marrone uses low-force techniques and, for BPPV, guided positional maneuvers rather than forceful twisting. We explain each step before we do it and adjust to your comfort. And because we screen for red flags first, care only proceeds when it’s appropriate for your situation.

How many visits will it take?

It varies with the cause. Some cases of positional vertigo respond after just a few repositioning sessions, while neck-related dizziness that’s built up over time usually takes a bit longer to settle and stabilize. After your evaluation we’ll give you an honest picture of what to expect — and if you’re not improving, we reassess rather than keep going.

Tired of the room spinning?

Let’s find out what’s driving your dizziness — and whether gentle care can help. Start with a free consultation, no referral needed.