12/21/2025
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AgzJipQ3t/
⭐️ CONCUSSION, THE NECK & DIZZINESS — THE CRITICAL LINK TOO OFTEN MISSED ⭐️
Why persistent concussion symptoms are NOT just “in the brain”… and why the neck may be the missing piece of your recovery.
Every week at The Functional Neurology Center, we meet patients who have been told to “just rest” after concussion — only to find themselves months or even years later still struggling with dizziness, light sensitivity, visual strain, imbalance, head pressure, jaw pain, or motion intolerance.
Many are told their scans are normal.
Many are told it’s anxiety.
Many are told their symptoms “don’t make sense.”
But emerging research — including a 2025 Frontiers in Neurology article on cervicogenic dizziness — is finally explaining what we see in clinic every day:
👉 Persistent post-concussion symptoms are often driven by a sensory mismatch between the neck, the vestibular system, and the visual system.
👉 And until the neck is addressed, symptoms can persist — no matter how much you rest.
⸻
🧠 The Science: Why the Neck Matters in Concussion
The upper cervical spine (C0–C3) is packed with proprioceptors — sensors that tell the brain:
• where your head is in space
• how fast it’s moving
• how your eyes should stabilize
• how your balance system should respond
• and how to coordinate posture
After concussion or whiplash, this information can become distorted.
The 2025 Frontiers in Neurology article outlines exactly what happens next:
🔹 1️⃣ The neck sends altered proprioceptive signals
🔹 2️⃣ The brainstem and vestibular nuclei receive conflicting information
🔹 3️⃣ The visual system tries to compensate
🔹 4️⃣ The cerebellum attempts to reweight sensory input
🔹 5️⃣ A sensory mismatch develops
This mismatch is what drives:
✔ dizziness
✔ motion intolerance
✔ unsteadiness
✔ “floating” or “rocking” sensations
✔ eye strain
✔ head pressure
✔ jaw or facial pain
✔ anxiety in busy environments
The article emphasizes that this mismatch can persist — even after the brain has “healed” — unless the cervical system is rehabilitated.
(Source: Frontiers in Neurology, 2025 — Cervicogenic Dizziness Perspective)
⸻
🌀 Why Imaging & Rest Often Fail
Standard MRIs and CT scans look at structure — not function.
They cannot detect:
• proprioceptive errors
• vestibular integration issues
• cervical mechanoreceptor dysfunction
• sensory mismatch
• autonomic dysregulation
So patients are told everything is “normal,” while their functional systems are deeply dysregulated.
Rest alone cannot recalibrate these systems.
They need targeted, active retraining.
⸻
🎯 The FNC Approach — Grounded in Research & Clinical Results
We specialize in evaluating and rehabilitating the exact systems involved in post-concussion dizziness:
✔ Cervical Proprioceptive Training
• joint position error
• deep neck flexor sequencing
• suboccipital function
• C0–C3 sensorimotor control
✔ Vestibular Rehabilitation
• VOR gain
• head-eye reflex training
• habituation
• motion sensitivity reduction
✔ Ocular Motor & Visual Processing
• saccades
• pursuits
• convergence
• optokinetic response
✔ Trigeminal & TMJ Pathways
• dural tension
• jaw mechanics
• facial pain modulation
✔ Cerebellar / Nodulus Integration
• gravity & velocity storage
• otolith processing
• postural control
✔ Autonomic Regulation
• HRV
• breath-driven vagal modulation
• limbic calming
✔ Sensory Re-weighting & Integration
where the REAL healing occurs.
We do not guess.
We measure.
We map systems.
We treat the whole network — not just the symptom.
This is why patients who have tried everything else often improve when these systems are finally treated together.
⸻
🙌 Why This Matters for YOU
If you still have:
• dizziness
• foggy vision
• motion intolerance
• neck pain
• head pressure
• jaw tension
• imbalance
• fatigue
• anxiety in busy environments
months or years after a concussion…
There is a physiological reason.
It is NOT “in your head.”
It is not “just anxiety.”
It is a treatable mismatch between the neck, vestibular, and visual systems.
And when treated holistically — recovery often accelerates.
⸻
💬 If You’re Still Struggling, You Have Options
At The Functional Neurology Center, we offer:
• comprehensive evaluations
• intensive programs
• multidisciplinary rehab
We serve patients locally & from across the U.S. and internationally.
If you want to learn whether you’re a candidate:
📩 Send us a message
TheFNC.com
💬 Comment “HOPE” below
📞 Request a complimentary consult 612 223 8590
📍 Minnetonka, MN
You deserve answers.
There IS hope — and there is a pathway to recovery.
— The Functional Neurology Center
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2025.1545241/full
