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Importance of cervicogenic general dizziness
Sho Takahashi 1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Takahashi Neurosurgery and Dermatology Clinic, Japan
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1Department of Neurosurgery, Takahashi Neurosurgery and Dermatology Clinic, Japan
Correspondence: Sho Takahashi, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Neurosurgery, Takahashi Neurosurgery and Dermatology Clinic, 2-3-17 Sumiyoshi-cho, Shibata, Niigata 957-0061, Japan. E-mail: pj.en.nco.aococ@ohs
Received 2018 Jan 2; Accepted 2018 Jan 22.
Abstract
A 15-month retrospective study of 1,000 outpatients was conducted to determine the exact cause of general dizziness.
The most common diagnosis in all analyzed cases was cervicogenic general dizziness (89%).
The majority of the patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine had narrow spinal canals.
Measuring the anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal in each case was critical to obtain an accurate diagnosis in line with the diagnostic criteria used.
General dizziness may develop because of inappropriate neck posture over long periods of time in individuals with some form of underlying cervical disease.
The causes of general dizziness were different between male and female patients and between patients of different age groups.
Triggers leading to general dizziness included engaging in farming, gardening, or weeding activities for long periods of time, particularly in elderly women. Selection of the appropriate muscle relaxant type and dosage is important in the treatment of patients with cervicogenic general dizziness who also experience a stiff neck and shoulders. Following treatment, 90% of patients no longer experienced general dizziness or exhibited clear improvements in their symptoms within 1 week.
The results of this study emphasize the importance of cervicogenic general dizziness, which is due to cervical vertebral lesions and is exacerbated by excessive stress on the cervical spine.
Introduction
General dizziness is a symptom frequently encountered in everyday clinical practice. However, the causes of this symptom are highly varied and can often be difficult to treat. In addition, reaching a definitive diagnosis in patients with general dizziness can prove difficult. At our hospital, patients who complain of general dizziness despite having no intracranial disease presentation and no clear signs of inner ear dysfunction or systemic conditions, patients complaining of severe dizziness for which treatments attempted by multiple medical facilities have failed to achieve adequate results, and patients with refractory dizziness and those with dizziness of an unknown cause are frequently treated.
This study was a retrospective analysis of the patients who visited our hospital with a chief complaint of general dizziness. Herein, I primarily consider cervicogenic general dizziness, which was the most common cause of our patients’ symptoms.
Sho Takahashi 1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Takahashi Neurosurgery and Dermatology Clinic, Japan
Find articles by Sho Takahashi
Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer
1Department of Neurosurgery, Takahashi Neurosurgery and Dermatology Clinic, Japan
Correspondence: Sho Takahashi, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Neurosurgery, Takahashi Neurosurgery and Dermatology Clinic, 2-3-17 Sumiyoshi-cho, Shibata, Niigata 957-0061, Japan. E-mail: pj.en.nco.aococ@ohs
Received 2018 Jan 2; Accepted 2018 Jan 22.
Abstract
A 15-month retrospective study of 1,000 outpatients was conducted to determine the exact cause of general dizziness.
The most common diagnosis in all analyzed cases was cervicogenic general dizziness (89%).
The majority of the patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine had narrow spinal canals.
Measuring the anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal in each case was critical to obtain an accurate diagnosis in line with the diagnostic criteria used.
General dizziness may develop because of inappropriate neck posture over long periods of time in individuals with some form of underlying cervical disease.
The causes of general dizziness were different between male and female patients and between patients of different age groups.
Triggers leading to general dizziness included engaging in farming, gardening, or weeding activities for long periods of time, particularly in elderly women. Selection of the appropriate muscle relaxant type and dosage is important in the treatment of patients with cervicogenic general dizziness who also experience a stiff neck and shoulders. Following treatment, 90% of patients no longer experienced general dizziness or exhibited clear improvements in their symptoms within 1 week.
The results of this study emphasize the importance of cervicogenic general dizziness, which is due to cervical vertebral lesions and is exacerbated by excessive stress on the cervical spine.
Introduction
General dizziness is a symptom frequently encountered in everyday clinical practice. However, the causes of this symptom are highly varied and can often be difficult to treat. In addition, reaching a definitive diagnosis in patients with general dizziness can prove difficult. At our hospital, patients who complain of general dizziness despite having no intracranial disease presentation and no clear signs of inner ear dysfunction or systemic conditions, patients complaining of severe dizziness for which treatments attempted by multiple medical facilities have failed to achieve adequate results, and patients with refractory dizziness and those with dizziness of an unknown cause are frequently treated.
This study was a retrospective analysis of the patients who visited our hospital with a chief complaint of general dizziness. Herein, I primarily consider cervicogenic general dizziness, which was the most common cause of our patients’ symptoms.