An upper cervical spine treatment protocol for cervicogenic dizziness: a randomized controlled trial.

Cervicogenic dizziness, a sensation of unsteadiness thought to arise from the neck, is often treated with manual therapy aimed at the cervical spine, though the evidence for specific protocols has been limited. This randomized controlled trial tested a structured traction-manipulation protocol applied to the upper neck in patients referred by an ear-nose-and-throat specialist, comparing an intervention group against a control group. Patients receiving the traction-manipulation protocol showed statistically significant improvements in dizziness intensity and in self-reported disability (measured with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory) compared to controls, both shortly after treatment and at four weeks. Cervical range of motion also improved.

This is a notable finding because manual cervical treatments for dizziness have had only moderate evidence behind them, and a structured, safety-conscious protocol offers a more defined approach. However, as a single trial, the results need confirmation, and the abstract does not report what the control group received, how many patients were enrolled or analyzed, or whether any adverse events occurred.

If you experience dizziness that seems connected to your neck, often called cervicogenic dizziness, you may wonder whether neck-focused physiotherapy can help. This study tested a specific manual therapy approach involving gentle traction and manipulation of the upper neck, comparing people who received it against a control group who did not. People who received the neck treatment reported less intense dizziness and less dizziness-related disability than those in the control group, both within a couple of days and still at four weeks later.

Their neck movement also improved. These are encouraging directional results from one trial, but the study doesn't tell us how many people took part, what the comparison group actually received, or whether anyone experienced side effects, so it's hard to know how broadly these findings apply.

Because this is a single study, the results would need to be repeated in further research before anyone could be confident about how reliable or lasting this specific approach is for people with cervicogenic dizziness.

This is a summary of research, not medical advice. Talk to your own healthcare provider about anything affecting your care.

This trial speaks to a specific clinical question: whether a defined traction-manipulation protocol targeting the upper cervical spine can reduce dizziness intensity and disability in patients with cervicogenic dizziness, an area where manual therapy evidence has previously been described as only moderate. Patients were referred by an otoneurologist and randomized to receive the protocol or to a control condition, with assessments of dizziness intensity, Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores, and cervical range of motion (with and without fixed gaze) taken at baseline, two days, and four weeks. The intervention group showed statistically significant between-group improvements in both dizziness intensity and Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores at both follow-up points, along with improved cervical mobility.

This offers some support for a structured, criteria-based protocol as a testable clinical approach, though the abstract does not specify what the control group received, making it unclear whether attention or expectation effects contributed to the patient-reported outcomes. The abstract does not report participant numbers, adverse events, or longer-term follow-up beyond four weeks, so questions about safety, durability, and generalizability to broader cervicogenic dizziness populations remain unanswered by this single trial.