Question
I am 46.  At age 8/9 I had whiplash type injury and neck trouble from it (I think) in my latr years.  My neck tightens on the left side and the one day will 'pop'the muscle - incredible pain, but the release is there.  Lately, it has been bothering me and I have been rubbing it frequently and using heatpads and bengay.  This morning I was up for a bit and began to dust.  All of a sudden, it seemed my left eye rolled or something and I fell to the floor to the right of where I was standing.  Is the neck muscle affecting my balance.  Right now my vision is clear but it feels a bit cloudy above my left eye.  I think I rubbed my neck too hard this morning, could that be it?  Thank you for your time - I'm really kind of scared right now.  PS  I just had a physical in Nov and all is well.  

Answer
Dear Gertie,

Not to alarm you, but anytime that you have symptoms like blurred vision, dizziness, falling, etc... these are mimicking stroke symptoms and need to be evaluated immediately.  There is a lesser experience called a TIA (transient ischemic attack) which is like a mini-stroke and may be what you have experienced.  If you had any facial numbness, lip drooping, difficulty smiling or talking, or muscular weakness on one side of the body, then you fit the classic profile.  TIA's are a warning signals that a real stroke may be around the corner, and this really should be followed up on with your medical doctor to rule it out.

I know that you had a recent physical which showed nothing, but strokes are hard to predict from physical examination alone.  Did you have blood work?  Inflammation markers in the blood are valuable predictors of adverse events such as above.

Now, that is the worst case scenario. Getting back to your original question, yes the muscles in the upper neck are connected with the balance mechanisms and send signals to the brain influencing it.  Therefore a vigorous massage and stretching of the area can create dizziness and light headedness, but this is transient and normally lasts only for a few seconds after the massage/stretch. I have seen patients experience this with massage. chiropractic adjustments, and assisted neck stretching in the office, but again it only lasts for a few seconds until the stimulation of the brain halts and your body stabilizes.

It is also not likely to affect your vision because there is not a direct anatomical connection to the eyes or brain center interpreting visual signals.  A link does exist as eye movement and muscle movement needs to be coordinated in the cerebellum of the brain and the higher cortical centers, but again it is not a direct link.  With the eye symptoms emerging before the fall, it makes me bekieve that the muscular connection to the balance mechanism was not the cause.

At your age Gertie, and our population statistics,you are at risk of stroke due to cardiovascular issues, and even multiple sclerosis (although it usually manifests in women in theri early thirties). There are other key factors though such as lifestyle, fitness level, diet etc.. which reduce your risk that I am unaware of without knowing your personal and family history, so realize that I am playing devils advocate here because of the possibility rather than the probability.  Just make sure that you monitor your symptoms, and get another check-up to rule it out.  After that I would encourage you to have a chiropractic evaluation of the head and neck if the symptoms continue...especially with your history of neck trauma.

If you have any other lingering questions or concerns, feel free to write back.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net