Question
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Followup To
Question -
I have a head and neck injury that I'm being treated for.  It's been 2 1/2 years and I'm still getting weekly adjustments.  I know that the popping and grinding are typical neck injury symptoms, but is vertigo/dizziness that common?  I'm starting to wonder if there is another problem going on that causes this, maybe something that is preventing my neck from getting better.  What do you think?
Answer -
Cynthia,

Thanks for the question.  Vertigo/dizziness are common whiplash symptoms.  I have treated many patients with the same symptoms.

However, if you are 2 and 1/2 years post-injury and have been receiving chiropractic adjustments weekly since the accident, it is time to understand that you are not going to improve any further with chiropractic care.  I understand that you may require periodic manipulation, but to continue receiving adjustments once per week after this long is not medically necessary in my opinion.

You may want to have another evaluation or further diagnostic tests to determine what could be causing the vertigo and dizziness.  Taking a break from adjustments might help.

Dr. Boss


Dear Dr. Boss,

Thank you for your reply!  I have taken breaks a few times, for as long as a month at a time, and gotten so much worse that I end up going back to once a week.  In fact any time my Chiropractors (I've had a few different DC's while trying different techniques) have tried to spread my adjustments out, I get very bad very quickly.  

I moved 6 months ago and the new DC, I've been seeing has made several adjustments to my pelvis/sacrum which have made a big difference to my torso, but my neck (specifically-atlas) continues to plague me regularly.  He is recommending that I see an upper cervical specialist.  His view on this is that my pelvis torqued my whole spine and made helping my neck injury impossible.  Now that my pelvis is starting to hold for as long as a month at a time, he feels that my neck should be holding too, but it's not.  Because he cannot get my neck to stabilize, he thinks there may be permanent damage to one or more ligaments because of the longevity of my condition if not from the injury it's self, which was a very heavy blow.  Does this sound possible?  

He says that the elasticity and strength will never return to an over stretched ligament because it doesn't get enough blood supply.  If there is nothing that a cervical specialist can do for me, he is recommending a procedure called Prolotherapy.  If I understand it right, they would inject the ligaments with a sugar-like solution that will cause micro tears in the ligaments.  The way the tears heal will shorten and strengthen the ligament and provide elasticity it needs to support my vertebrae.  Have you heard of this?  

Anyway, I'm a little (very) scared of the whole thing and wanted to confirm that the vertigo and dizziness is common with neck problems so I will be more secure with the verdict that my neck is definately the problem.  I did sustain a nasty head trauma with a loss-of-consciousness concussion with this same injury.  I am told that, while head trauma can cause vertigo too, it cannot be the cause of my cervical issues. I just want to make sure I'm treating the right injury for my symptoms, before going through a series of painful shots that will make my neck hurt even worse for a time.  

I didn't mean to be so long, but wanted to clarify the reason for the question and give a bit of treatment history.  Have you had any experience with a patient getting this kind of therapy?  I have tried so many options, I just don't know what there is left to do.  Short of having tens of thousands of dollars worth of tests done on my head, (besides haveing had head x-rays and MRI's that were 搖nremarkable?,I think I've tried everything else.  Do you have an opinion about this mess?  Thank you for any response you might have!  -Rose


Answer
Thanks for the reply and the clarification. This makes much more sense and yes, your current DC is correct in his explanation of the cervical ligament damage.  I would agree with him 100%.  It does appear that the ligaments have been damaged to a point where they are not able to "hold" the adjustments.  It is good news though that he has the pelvis doing well.

I have had experience with prolotherapy on just a few patients.  They have been lower back and hip patients, but they have done well with the procedure.  I have never had a patient with chronic neck pain from ligamentous injury undergo prolotherapy. But with your history, it may be worth a try.

I would be quite certain that the vertigo is due to the neck trauma and the resultant chronic ligamentous laxity.  I have seen this before and I have had to treat the patients ongoing to provide them with lasting relief. Again, the prolotherapy may be your best option at this time.

Hang in there. It certainly sounds as though you are being taken care of well.  If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me.

Dr. Boss