Vertigo is a common clinical symptom, and the causes are complex. Vertigo caused by cervical spondylosis is generally called “cervical vertigo” or “vertigo-type cervical spondylosis”.
There are three common clinical types of “cervical vertigo” as follows.
1. Mechanical factors. Cervical spondylosis causes compression of the vertebral artery, such as degeneration of the cervical disc, narrowing of the vertebral space and instability.
2. Spasm of the vertebral artery caused by sympathetic nerve stimulation, resulting in vertigo due to reduced blood flow. Most experts now support this view. It is believed that the vertebral artery is innervated by the vertebral sympathetic filament formed by the stellate ganglion and the middle cervical ganglion. When the sympathetic nerve is excited here, it can cause spasm of the vertebral artery and lead to vertigo. Sun Xiaona, Department of Orthopedics, Jinan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
3. Other factors: such as arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes and other diseases of blood vessels themselves, which reduce blood flow and cause vertigo. In addition, such as uneven development of transverse foramen and ligament hypertrophy, cervical rib or seventh cervical transverse hypertrophy, etc., when the head is turned, the vertebral artery is strained or compressed and causes vertigo. Most experts for the second often lead to cervical vertigo as an important cause, and induce sympathetic excitation. In addition to direct stimulation such as excessive fatigue, mental tension, insomnia and mood swings can also induce sympathetic excitation and spasm of the vertebral artery and cause vertigo.
After understanding the etiology and pathology of cervical vertigo, we should ask experts for further clinical analysis and diagnosis of vertigo symptoms. It is incorrect to blindly diagnose cervical spine hyperplasia compressing nerve before high-resolution imaging diagnosis.
Clinical cervical spine osteophytes, bone flab formation or even only degeneration of intervertebral disc without corresponding clinical symptoms and signs cannot be diagnosed as cervical spondylosis. Cervical traction is also used only when it is determined that the vertebral artery is compressed or distorted due to cervical disc herniation, hyperplasia of the hook vertebral joint, and abnormal cervical curvature. Cervical traction has high technical requirements and must be performed under the guidance of an orthopedic surgeon.
Cervical traction is not the only way to treat cervical spondylosis, and different treatment methods should be adopted according to different causes. For many years, we have attached great importance to integrated therapy for cervical vertigo in our clinic. In Chinese herbal medicine we have the following principles: to dissolve phlegm, benefit Qi, invigorate blood and calm the liver.