Dizziness and the Neck | Embody Health Chiropractic

Dizziness is a symptom, not a disease. It can come from the balance organ, blood pressure, medication, or the neck. Dizziness that relates to tension or stiffness in the upper cervical vertebrae is called cervicogenic dizziness — that is where a chiropractor can help. Your first visit at Embody Health costs €39 and requires no referral from your GP. Most Dutch health insurers (partially) reimburse chiropractic care from the supplementary package, without touching your deductible.

Dr. Stephen Malone (DC, DCF/SNRC) has treated people with neck- and balance-related complaints for over 12 years, from three clinics in Alphen aan den Rijn, Amersfoort, and Rotterdam. Patients rate us on average 4.9 out of 5 stars on Google. During the first visit we carefully map whether your dizziness relates to the neck, or whether your GP or ENT specialist is the better first step.

Why do you feel dizzy?

A careful first assessment starts with the question where your dizziness comes from. The four most common causes:

• BPPV (crystals): brief spinning dizziness when turning over in bed or bending forward. This belongs with the physiotherapist or ENT specialist, who treats it with repositioning manoeuvres.
• Menière\'s disease: attacks of spinning dizziness with ringing in the ears and fluctuating hearing. This requires an ENT specialist.
• Orthostatic dizziness: a light feeling in the head when standing up quickly. Discuss this with your GP.
• Cervicogenic dizziness: dizziness that relates to tension, stiffness, or restricted mobility of the neck. This is the form a chiropractor looks at.

Cervicogenic dizziness: the neck connection

The upper cervical vertebrae contain nerves and muscles that influence the signals around the head and balance. When the neck is tense or restricted, this can cause an unsteady or spinning feeling. Do you recognise this? The dizziness then often occurs together with neck complaints, for example after long screen work, a poor sleeping position, or an earlier whiplash accident.

Whether your complaints relate to the neck is assessed during the first visit with posture and movement assessment and targeted tests. Chiropractic care focuses on restoring the mobility of the neck and reducing tension. For dizziness from other causes we refer you on honestly — we do not treat the ear or blood pressure.

What can you do yourself?

• Mind your posture behind the screen: a head upright above the shoulders relieves the neck.
• Choose a pillow that supports your neck in a neutral position.
• Take regular breaks during long sitting and move your neck gently.
• Stand up slowly from a chair or bed and give your blood pressure time.

When to see a GP

Most dizziness is harmless and well treatable. A few signals we always discuss first — with your GP or with us:

How can a chiropractor help with dizziness?

During your first visit you go through a fixed approach, so you know exactly where you stand:

1. Intake: your story — when the dizziness occurs, whether neck complaints play a role, earlier complaints and lifestyle.
2. Physical examination: we look at the mobility of your neck and cervical spine, your posture and the muscle tension around head and shoulders, and carry out balance and neurological tests where needed.
3. What we look at: whether your dizziness relates to the neck (cervicogenic dizziness) or whether another cause is more likely — such as BPPV or Menière's disease — and which care provider is then the better first step.
4. Treatment: gentle mobilisation of the upper neck, so tension decreases and mobility returns.
5. Treatment plan: what we do, how often, and which posture and relaxation exercises you can do yourself.

The evidence for manual therapy in cervicogenic dizziness is growing: a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis found indications that manual therapy can reduce symptoms of cervicogenic dizziness, and a 2025 meta-analysis shows comparable results for manual therapy in dizziness from the neck.

We only treat dizziness that relates to the neck; for other causes, such as BPPV or Menière's disease, we refer you on honestly to physiotherapy, an ENT specialist, or your GP. We see many people with neck-related dizziness notice their symptoms decrease after a number of treatments; what it does for you, we assess honestly during your first visit. In Rotterdam, Alphen aan den Rijn, and Amersfoort we regularly treat dizziness that relates to the neck; plan your first visit at the clinic near you.