Modern medicine interprets a throbbing head accompanied by dizziness not simply as an isolated issue of the head, but as the result of an organic interplay among our complex nervous system, blood circulation system, and musculoskeletal system. In particular, regarding the symptoms addressed today, it is essential to deeply understand the connection between two conditions: tension headache and cervicogenic dizziness.
First, a tension headache is one of the most common types of headaches, primarily arising from the continuous contraction and stiffness of the muscles surrounding the head and neck. Due to prolonged use of computers and smartphones, modern individuals maintain a forward head posture where the neck and shoulders hunch forward, placing an enormous burden on the muscles around the cervical vertebrae, such as the trapezius muscle, sternocleidomastoid, and splenius capitis muscle. When these muscles stay persistently tense, intramuscular blood flow diminishes, and algogens accumulate, triggering a dull ache or a tightening, band-like pressure around the entire head.
Furthermore, this chronic muscle tension does not end merely in pain. Major blood vessels supplying the brain, including the vertebral artery and carotid artery, and numerous nerve fascicles pass around the cervical vertebrae. Stiffness in the neck muscles can compress these vessels, reducing the volume of blood and oxygen delivered to the brain. Decreased cerebral blood flow leads to brain hypofunction, serving as a major cause of impaired concentration, memory impairment, and, above all, dizziness.
Alongside this, one must understand the concept of cervicogenic dizziness. The body's sense of balance is maintained through the integrated processing of information from the vestibular system within the inner ear, the eyes, and proprioception, which handles positional awareness of the body. In particular, the cervical vertebrae and surrounding muscles are richly distributed with proprioceptors that detect head position and movement. However, when neck muscles are chronically tense or the alignment of the cervical vertebrae is distorted, these receptors send erroneous signals to the brain. Much like a malfunctioning GPS, the brain receives positional data that conflicts with the actual position of the head and becomes confused, manifesting as impaired balance and dizziness. Sensations of spinning, swaying, or an unsteady gait are typical symptoms.
Stress is the primary culprit that aggravates this entire process. Stress leads to hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn constricts blood vessels and worsens muscle tension. Similar to how Donguibogam describes wind shaking internal qi and phlegm blocking circulation, modern medicine explains that stress hormones and autonomic nervous system imbalance impede blood circulation and promote inflammatory responses, creating a complex mechanism that further worsens headaches and dizziness. Therefore, rather than merely suppressing pain with analgesics, an integrated approach combining postural correction of the neck, muscle relaxation, and stress management is essential to break free from this chronic distress.
