DIZZINESS

Understanding the Brain–Body Imbalance Behind the Symptoms

The Brain & Body Clinic – St. Petersburg, FL
Dr. Theo Berlingeri, DC

Dizziness is one of the most unsettling sensations a person can feel. Patients often describe it as:

“I’m floating.”
“The ground doesn’t feel stable.”
“I feel disconnected.”
“My head feels full or swimmy.”
“Like I’m moving but I’m not.”

What makes dizziness so frustrating is how multisystem it is. It can involve the vestibular system, proprioception, the eyes, neck mechanoreceptors, autonomic nerves, and brainstem circuits—all at the same time.

But here’s the part most people never hear:
Your upper neck is one of the biggest sources of dizziness, even when your inner ear is normal.

Let’s break this down in a way that finally makes sense.

Why the Neck Can Create Dizziness

At the base of your skull sits a cluster of tiny muscles—the suboccipitals—containing some of the highest density of proprioceptors per gram of muscle in the body. These muscles communicate directly with the vestibular nuclei, cerebellum, and brainstem, helping your brain determine:

  • Where your head is

  • Where your body is

  • How to maintain balance

  • How to stabilize your gaze

When the atlas (C1) misaligns, these muscle receptors send distorted signals.
The brain receives “bad data,” and that mismatch creates dizziness.

This is known as cervicogenic dizziness, one of the most underdiagnosed neurological conditions.

It explains why so many dizziness sufferers say:

“It started after a car accident.”
“My neck has been tight ever since.”
“It gets worse with head movements.”
“It comes with headaches or pressure.”

You’re not imagining it — it’s neuroanatomy.

How Upper Cervical Misalignment Leads to Dizziness

Even a few millimeters of atlas shift can:

  • Irritate vestibular pathways in the brainstem

  • Disrupt proprioceptive signaling

  • Cause eye–head movement mismatch

  • Alter blood flow to the head

  • Affect balance reflexes

  • Trigger sympathetic overactivation (fight-or-flight)

This creates the classic dizziness symptoms people feel:

  • Lightheadedness

  • Rocking or floating

  • Motion sensitivity

  • Brain fog

  • Eye strain

  • Imbalance when walking

  • Vertigo-like sensations without spinning

Upper Cervical Chiropractic is designed to correct these root issues gently and precisely.

The Brain–Body Approach to Dizziness Relief

At The Brain & Body Clinic, we don’t guess—we assess the entire neurological system that controls balance, orientation, and spatial awareness.

Our system integrates:

  • Upper Cervical Chiropractic (Advanced Orthogonal)

  • Functional Neurology

  • Applied Kinesiology

  • Vestibular-based testing

  • Torque Release Technique (TRT)

  • Neuro Emotional Technique (NET)

  • Post-concussion sensory integration

This gives you a precise, individualized plan to restore balance to your nervous system.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic (Advanced Orthogonal)

The foundation of dizziness treatment here is a gentle, sound-wave guided correction of the atlas.

Benefits for dizziness include:

  • Reducing brainstem irritation

  • Calming vestibular pathways

  • Resetting proprioceptive accuracy

  • Releasing suboccipital muscle tension

  • Improving balance reflexes

  • Reducing neck–eye movement mismatch

No twisting. No cracking. Just precision.

👉 https://www.drtheochiropractic.com/upper-cervical

Functional Neurology & Applied Kinesiology

We evaluate:

  • Eye movements (VOR, saccades, smooth pursuit)

  • Balance reflexes

  • Head–neck coordination

  • Cranial nerve function

  • Vestibular sensitivity

  • TMJ influence

  • Muscle inhibition patterns

  • Sensory mismatch

Dizziness is almost always a pattern, not a mystery.
AK + FN shows us which circuits are misfiring and how to correct them.

👉 https://www.drtheochiropractic.com/applied-kinesiology

TRT (Torque Release Technique)

Many dizziness patients have an underlying autonomic imbalance—their nervous system is stuck in overdrive.

TRT helps:

  • Reduce sympathetic dominance

  • Improve adaptability

  • Calm panic-like dizziness

  • Stabilize sensory processing

👉 https://www.drtheochiropractic.com/torque-release-technique

NET (Neuro Emotional Technique)

For some people, dizziness appears during:

  • Anxiety

  • Stress

  • Emotional overwhelm

  • Trauma reminders

  • Post-concussion stress patterns

NET helps regulate the limbic circuits that can trigger dizziness when emotionally overloaded.

👉 https://www.drtheochiropractic.com/net

Signs Your Dizziness Is Coming from Your Neck

You may have cervicogenic dizziness if:

  • It started after whiplash or an accident

  • Your neck feels stiff or tender

  • You have headaches with dizziness

  • You feel off-balance but ENT tests are normal

  • You’re sensitive to head movements

  • You get dizzy while turning your head

  • Screens or reading make symptoms worse

If this sounds like you — you’re in the right place.

Why St. Pete Chooses The Brain & Body Clinic

✔ One of the only Advanced Orthogonal practices in the area
✔ A true brain-based balance + dizziness approach
✔ Focus on helping you hold alignment
✔ Gentle, non-invasive, highly targeted care
✔ Integrates vestibular, proprioceptive, emotional + neurological systems

People come here when dizziness is destroying their quality of life—and they finally want answers that make sense.

Find Your Balance Again

Dizziness isn’t something to “push through.” It’s your brain asking for help.

Let’s restore stability, clarity, and confidence in your body again.

👉 Book Your First Visit
https://www.drtheochiropractic.com/contact

👉 Explore Our Brain-Based Approach
https://www.drtheochiropractic.com

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