So i had another attack of spinning today. It was maybe five seconds long. I was sitting on the couch and picked my son up and turned my head and it started. So random. I usually feel off balance but the spinning has gotten better. This time my anxiety got the better of me. I went to the dr. It wasnt the same one i normally see but because i was having neck ain he ordered xrays. They showed a missing/ extra first rib??? What do you guys think? Doc said i need to go see an ortho/neuro to fond out for sure. He said he had never seen anything like it which is something my anxiety loves to hear.
Ive been down in the dumps the past few days. Im having all sorts of visial symptoms loke an ocular migraine moght be starting. The vertigo and anxiety are ridiculous. I find it hard at times to get over the thought thay this may never get better for me.
Anyway, just thought i would see what you guys think. You are becoming my lifeline!
“Variations in the number of ribs occur. About 1 in 200-500 people have an additional cervical rib, and there is a female predominance.”
Kind of interesting - but you don’t know if this is in any way a problem or related at all to your dizziness.
I learned a lesson with my first mammogram. I got a call back because they found “something.” It was a screening mammo so I had to go for a diagnostic mammo (shows more detail) and possibly an ultrasound. Had to wait 3 or 4 days and they were hell. What do you think was going through my mind? Sure enough, after the diagnostic mammo, I got called to the ultrasound room. After that test, I lay there to wait for the radiologist to come in. Seemed like hours, but it was maybe 15 minutes. She said I had cysts, not cancer.
All those days of worry, and for what? So many of us tend to assume the worst. It’s a waste of time and energy. We send all those nasty worry chemicals surging through our bodies for hours, maybe days on end, and for nothing. In the absence of evidence of doom, we need to practice self-soothing self-talk. If we try, we can come up with sentences - counter thoughts - that we can use to remind ourselves to simmer down. If necessary, write them down somewhere so when you’re really freaking out you don’t have to try to remember them.
Here are a couple ideas:
“Variations in the number of ribs occur. This may be nothing to worry about at all.”
“Men have nipples but they don’t need them - extra things happen in nature, and it doesn’t mean it’s a problem.”
I thank you! So hard to just let it be at times. I agree with all of it. I have had this all my life i am sure, it just threw my anxiety into somewhat of a spiral. They are sending me to meet with a specialist and im sure they can tell me there if that has anything to do with mu dizziness. Im not lucky enough to have that be the only answer;)
I used to think my neck was causing the dizzi’s too. I would have stiff neck, knots, and everything. I went to physical therapy to get the knots out and take the stiffness away. Ultimately, when my neck was all calmed down, I still had the dizziness. It may have gotten a little better, but not significant. I didn’t completely waste my money though, because the knots needed to go, but also I learned that the dizziness isn’t really coming from my neck. There’s plenty of things on the internet that you can read that will make you think that that’s the problem and some cases it is for some people. Mostly whiplash victims. I don’t want to really tell you to stop wasting your time on looking at your neck as being the problem, but unless you’ve had whiplash or some other neck injury, it probably is a waste of time. If you’ve been diagnosed migraine, then I’d concentrate on migraine preventative measures with lifestyle change and maybe medication.
Once the migraine takes a bit of a back seat, you’ll notice neck symptoms do too. Even without neck therapy from physical therapy, chiropractor or whatever. Good luck!
I’m with Greg. When I did my PT (VRT) in the spring, they said my neck was a mess. They would do a 15 minute massage after I did the exercises. It was worth it to me just to have my neck worked on. I truly believe that some of it helped, but I had also been on meds for about 8 weeks and I think the time was the most important factor in my recovery. I am having a relapse, been this way since a week before the holidays… but I don’t think going back to VRT or having my neck worked on will make that much of a difference. Yeah it feels great, but was it a cure…no way.
Best of luck, you will get through this. Try and stay calm, nerves probably play a huge role in the dizzies. I have ups and downs (many) but I try and stay focused, and figure this is something I have to learn to live with.
Coming from someone that has had 2 neck surgeries. Tight neck muscles can do lots of crazy things.
I would look at all options. You do not necessarily have to have whiplash or a neck trauma for dizziness.
You can get tight neck muscles from posture alone.
The sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to fascia that attaches to the mastoid bone that can pull on the
inner ear- causing dizziness. Its some what common, but not to rare either. PT says 30% of his patients have some
kind of dizziness associated with there neck.
There is so much going on in the neck and where all the muscles atttache and the nerves etc… it can be more than just the SCM muscle.
** not to mention mess with your vision
Mav= neck pain
But Neck tightness and pain that can equal dizziness and migraines.
I know alot of people on here believe that the neck is secondary, but I think it may be the original problem or a problem
along with vestibular. I mean if its pulling on the ear, its not to far fetched to say its messing up the dynamics of the fluid. Per Physical therapist, and NP.
Im not sure exactly where I fall into all of this. I had myofascial release and got lightheaded while laying down, flushed and felt more relaxed BUT more dizzy.
So how can vestibular get all upset from a muscle release…? Makes sense that its neck related.
And tight muscles can exacerbate dizziness by sending false information to the brain. Walking on soft surfaces can be made more difficult this way. Tight muscles, particularly that restrict head movement can do likewise.
