VERTIGO

When the World Spins and Your Nervous System Loses Its Bearings

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

Few sensations are as terrifying or disorienting as vertigo.
Patients describe it vividly:

“The room spins.”
“My eyes can’t keep up.”
“It hits randomly and takes over my day.”
“It feels like my body is still moving.”

The challenge with vertigo is that it’s rarely just one thing. It’s a brain–body coordination problem, involving:

  • The inner ear (vestibular system)

  • The eyes

  • The neck + proprioceptors

  • The brainstem + cerebellum

  • The autonomic nervous system

And at the intersection of these systems sits one key structure:
The upper cervical spine — specifically the atlas (C1).

When this region becomes misaligned or irritated, the signals between your head, neck, eyes, and vestibular system become distorted.
The result: spinning, nausea, imbalance, or sudden vertigo episodes.

Not All Vertigo Is BPPV — The Neck Plays a Major Role

Most people think vertigo = crystals in the inner ear.
But here’s the reality:

A huge portion of chronic vertigo is cervicogenic — meaning it originates from the neck.

The suboccipital muscles beneath the base of the skull contain one of the highest densities of proprioceptors in the entire body.
These receptors constantly update your brain on:

  • Head position

  • Balance

  • Movement

  • Coordination of the eyes and body

When the atlas shifts, these muscle receptors send incorrect information to the vestibular system.
The brain experiences a sensory mismatch — and vertigo begins.

This is why vertigo often starts after:

  • A car accident

  • A fall or whiplash

  • Dental work or jaw tension

  • Prolonged screen use

  • Stress or emotional overload

  • A concussion

  • Sleeping awkwardly

  • Chronic neck tension

The neck is a major contributor — even when ENT tests are normal.

How Upper Cervical Misalignment Triggers Vertigo

Just a few millimeters of atlas displacement can disrupt:

✔ Vestibular nuclei in the brainstem

Leading to spinning or positional vertigo.

✔ Proprioceptive input from the neck

Creating imbalance or unsteadiness.

✔ Eye–head coordination

Resulting in “visual vertigo” or motion sensitivity.

✔ Autonomic stability

Causing nausea, sweating, panic, or dizziness.

✔ Cerebellar integration

Affecting coordination and depth perception.

This explains why someone may feel:

“The ENT said everything looks normal… but I still have vertigo.”

If the data going into the brain is distorted, the output—your stability—will also be distorted.

The Brain–Body Vertigo Protocol at The Brain & Body Clinic

We use a multi-system, neuro-integrated approach to get to the root of vertigo.

✔ Upper Cervical Chiropractic (Advanced Orthogonal)

The foundation of vertigo treatment here.
No twisting, cracking, or popping.

A precise, gentle sound-wave correction helps:

  • Reduce brainstem irritation

  • Reset proprioception

  • Improve vestibular stability

  • Release suboccipital tension

  • Restore eye-head coordination

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

✔ Functional Neurology for Vestibular + Eye Movement Integration

We evaluate:

  • VOR reflexes

  • Saccades & tracking

  • Visual motion sensitivity

  • Cervical proprioception

  • Balance reflexes

  • TMJ involvement

This identifies exactly which circuits are malfunctioning.

✔ Applied Kinesiology

AK reveals inhibited muscle patterns, cranial nerve imbalance, or hidden vestibular involvement that traditional exams miss.

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

✔ TRT (Torque Release Technique)

Vertigo often worsens during sympathetic overload—stress, overwhelm, panic.

TRT helps reorganize spinal cord patterns and calm the autonomic system.

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

✔ NET (Neuro Emotional Technique)

For vertigo triggered or worsened by:

  • Stress

  • Anxiety

  • Emotional overload

  • Trauma

  • Post-concussion fear patterns

NET helps release the limbic patterns that amplify vertigo.

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

Signs Your Vertigo Is Upper Cervical in Origin

You may have cervicogenic or brainstem-driven vertigo if you notice:

  • Neck stiffness with vertigo

  • Head pressure or headaches

  • Vertigo after turning your head

  • Dizziness with screens or reading

  • Imbalance without true spinning

  • Symptoms after a car accident

  • Visual motion sensitivity

  • Vertigo with jaw tension or TMJ issues

These patterns are classic indicators of atlas involvement.

Why Patients in St. Pete Choose The Brain & Body Clinic

✔ One of the only Advanced Orthogonal practices in the region
✔ True vestibular + neurological vertigo testing
✔ Gentle, instrument-based care
✔ Focus on restoring balance + holding alignment
✔ Integrative emotional, structural, and sensory approach

This is where patients come when they’re tired of being told, “Everything looks normal,” yet they still feel like their world won’t stop spinning.

Let’s Help You Feel Grounded Again

Vertigo doesn’t just affect your balance — it affects your confidence, your freedom, and your ability to feel safe in your own body.

Let’s restore the stability you’ve been missing.

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

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

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