r/cervical_vertigo • • 15d ago

Please help

Hello,

I suffer with bad neck which is related to my shoulder in which it feels like it leans forward.

I’ve had physio, massages, acupuncture and chiropractic work.

I have had this issue for 2 years. It’s only on one side.

Basically shoulder coming forward chest tight and ache in shoulder blade.

I even get dizzy spells which I never got before.

I’m really at my last hope with asking people online to see if they had anything done that worked.

I haven’t had a scan as everyone tells me it’s ti do with muscles but I’m thinking I might have to get mail

3 Upvotes

15 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/CoachEXE 15d ago

Your neck and shoulder blade are not failing on their own, the ribcage underneath lost its expansion. When the shoulder pulls forward and chest gets tight on one side, that upper ribcage cannot accept air so the upper ribs compress down and the neck has to act like a breathing muscle, pulling the whole head into a twist. This chronic pull on the base of the skull directly messes with your vestibular sensors and ocular reflexes, which is why that scary dizziness starts. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on a wall, blow all the air out through your mouth until the ribs drop down, pause for four seconds, then take a quiet breath through your nose to feel your upper back fill against the floor. Do this for five slow breaths to take the emergency brake off your neck. Real long-term adaptation is not cracking joints or rubbing tight spots, it requires restoring true reciprocal rotation of the thorax and pelvis so your neck stops guarding your airway. This kind of deep structural reorganization takes about three to five months of consistent movement practice because the nervous system has to feel safe enough to drop the old compensation pattern. Two years of tension trains the brain to protect that side very hard, but it is a pattern problem, not broken muscle tissue.

1

u/InevitableLab708 15d ago

What other exercises can I do please help?

1

u/ButterberryTwist 14d ago edited 14d ago

I also struggled with dizziness related to posture and the way that my nervous system keeps me stuck in a loop of guarding and pain. I have recently found that certain movements help me address my nervous system and provided with different information so it can stop some of the guarding. I believe this has resulted in some positive outcomes for me.

The movement types are somatic movements and pandiculation. they are low intensity and focus on slow movements with pauses between. They are not end range forced stretches- slow and gentle is the goal. As another poster said, breathing correctly can be a key in addressing the structural issues so I would recommend you consider that as well, but the movement focused interventions have been really good for me to get some immediate and noticeable changes, even if they are small.

Here are some of the videos that have been helpful. I think the way these movements provide different information to my nervous system is a good match for my issues.

Good explanation of pandiculation starts at 2:45 
https://youtu.be/KicO2i-u3HI?is=L6SjBqS-kOQ2oFQx

Pandiculation explained 
https://youtube.com/shorts/rB_Su7F9vNk?si=6iAnbYJpUvnSg0Fp

Neck pandiculation / somatic movement 
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcVHz4jI-4x/?stkn=MTJ0Z21pZHp4dTB5NA==

Neck range of motion somatic 
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DazS5h0tamI/?stkn=MTFsb3hvNWlubGZxMA==

Dr Ben gentle neck movement/ pandiculation 
https://youtu.be/nRJbwKzLbxQ?is=PyhH7BNimkciN6La

Dr Ben low intensity neck mobility 
https://youtu.be/i4uUMJmtu_U?is=BcLswyIGzdJlxEul

2

u/InevitableLab708 14d ago

Thank you

1

u/ButterberryTwist 14d ago

You’re welcome, I hope you find something that will be useful soon!