Question
I'm a 37 year old woman and have been experiencing lightheadedness for the last four years. The room is not spinning, I just feel woozy and "out of it" when these episodes occur. This is my most troubling symptom. I've had 2 MRA's,seen 2 different ENT's and a Neurologist. They found nothing.

I also experience heart palpitations that doctors that doctor's can't give me an answer for. I've had an array of tests and no answers. EKG's, Stress test with Echo,3 week monitor study.

My vision will also get blurry every now and then. Just suddenly it's blurry for a day or two and then goes back to normal.

The most troubling symptom is the lightheadedness. It's awful when it happens. Sometimes it's gone for days,weeks and even months. Other times it shows up for days or weeks. It comes and goes suddenly.

I had an MRI a couple of months ago and the findings are as follows: There is mild reversal of cervical lordosis noted. Signal within the cervical cord is unremarkable.

At C5-C6 level, there is interverterbral disc hernitation noted slightly right paracentral. The disc herniation is in contact with the cord at this level. Central canal measures 1.2 cm. No evidence of neural foraminal narrowing.  

Could the disc herniation be causing these symptoms?

Answer
HI Angela,

I'm sure your situation is frustrating.   There is literature on "cervicogenic vertego."  This is dizziness caused by irritated neck joints and soft tissues, often seen after neck injuries such as whiplash.    I have never come across literature or cases where lightheadedness was directly associated with a cervical spine disc herniation, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.    There have been articles (I recall at least one) on changes in visual fields after cervical spine manipulation.    You can Google Scholar search this stuff.   I would suggest a consultation with a chiropractor, and also with an MD-physiatrist.    If your spine exam with the chiropractor shows any provocation of your symptoms, then you can address the neck with manual treatment.   Or, the physiatrist might consider an interlaminar epidural steroid injection to "block" the region around that disc.   Ask the chiropractor to do a "cervicogenic vertigo" test (seated on a roller stool, head held straight, then twist body back and forth on stool without moving head: thus the neck twists but the head doesn't turn).   If this test provokes your symptoms, then your condition is coming from your neck.  

'Hope this was helpful.

Dr. G'