How to diagnose cervicogenic dizziness.
Alexander S Reiley, Frank M Vickory, Sarah E Funderburg and 2 others
PMID 29340206WHAT IT FOUND
Cervicogenic dizziness is a diagnosis of exclusion requiring a stepwise process to rule out competing pathologies.
True vertigo is rarely a symptom. Diagnosis relies on neck pain, dizziness linked to cervical movement, and excluding vestibular or arterial causes.
Key findings
01Cervicogenic dizziness is a diagnosis of exclusion because no single test can definitively diagnose it.
02A diagnosis of cervicogenic dizziness should not be considered if the patient does not have neck pain.
03The cervical neck torsion test has the strongest diagnostic utility for ruling in cervicogenic dizziness compared to BPPV.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The proposed diagnostic framework has not been validated in a controlled clinical trial. Diagnostic utility for specific tests is often based on studies comparing only two populations, such as cervicogenic dizziness versus benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, rather than the general population. The paper relies on expert opinion and an amalgamation of evidence rather than new primary data. The smooth pursuit neck torsion test is currently not clinically useful as it has not been studied in a clinical setting and lacks consensus on methodology.
The easy way to misread this
Do not diagnose cervicogenic dizziness without first excluding other causes through a stepwise process. The condition is a diagnosis of exclusion, and no single test is definitive. Also, note that true vertigo is rarely a symptom of this condition.