Roberts Physical Therapy & Massage

02/01/2026

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02/01/2026

🧠 WHY NECK INJURIES DISRUPT VISION, BALANCE & BRAIN FUNCTION
(And why symptoms often persist even when imaging looks “normal”)

One of the most misunderstood contributors to dizziness, brain fog, headaches, visual strain, imbalance, and post-concussion symptoms is cervical somatosensory dysfunction.

This graphic explains why.

At The Functional Neurology Center (theFNC), we don’t look at symptoms in isolation. We look at how sensory systems integrate—and what happens when one of the most powerful sensory inputs in the body goes offline.

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🧩 THE STARTING POINT: TRAUMA, STRESS & INFLAMMATION

Many patients we see have a history of:
• Whiplash
• Concussion
• Repetitive micro-trauma
• Chronic stress
• Ongoing pain and inflammation

These stressors don’t just affect tissues—they alter how the nervous system processes information.

One of the first systems to change?
👉 Cervical mechanoreceptors.

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🦴 THE NECK: A MAJOR SENSORY ORGAN (NOT JUST A STRUCTURE)

The upper cervical spine contains an extremely high density of:
• Muscle spindles
• Joint mechanoreceptors
• Proprioceptive afferents

These receptors constantly inform the brain about head position, motion, and spatial orientation.

After injury or chronic stress, these receptors can become:
• Hyper-sensitive
• Inaccurate
• Noisy

This is shown in the graphic as Altered Cervical Mechanoreceptors.

When this happens, the brain is no longer receiving a clean signal from the neck.

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🧠 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: DISTORTED CERVICAL SOMATOSENSORY INPUT

The brain relies on accurate neck input to correctly integrate:
• Vision
• Balance (vestibular system)
• Posture
• Eye movements

When cervical input is distorted, the brain is forced to re-weight sensory systems, often over-relying on vision or suppressing vestibular input altogether.

This is why patients develop:
• Visual motion sensitivity
• Difficulty focusing or tracking
• Dizziness or imbalance
• Head pressure
• Cognitive fatigue

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👁️🌀 VISUAL & VESTIBULAR SYSTEM DISRUPTION

The graphic shows direct connections from cervical input to:

🔹 Visual System
• Altered reflexes
• Gaze instability
• Eye strain
• Difficulty reading or scrolling

🔹 Vestibular System
• Altered VOR (vestibulo-ocular reflex)
• Balance dysfunction
• Motion intolerance
• Disorientation

These systems are not “broken.”
They are responding to faulty sensory data.

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⚙️ SENSORIMOTOR CONTROL BREAKDOWN

When inaccurate sensory input reaches higher brain centers, the result is:
• Poor sensory integration
• Impaired motor tuning
• Loss of movement precision
• Increased cognitive load

Patients often say:

“I feel disconnected.”
“My body doesn’t trust itself.”
“I’m always bracing.”

That’s not psychological.
That’s sensorimotor mismatch.

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🧠 CNS REORGANIZATION: WHY SYMPTOMS PERSIST

Over time, the brain adapts to distorted input through:
• Altered cortical maps
• Maladaptive movement strategies
• Persistent protective patterns

This explains why:
• MRIs look normal
• Strength tests are fine
• Yet symptoms continue

The issue isn’t damage—it’s dysregulated sensory processing.

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🔁 THE FEEDBACK LOOP (THE PART MOST PLACES MISS)

The graphic highlights a critical loop:
• Poor sensorimotor control → increased stress
• Stress → sympathetic nervous system activation
• SNS activation → increased muscle tone & spindle gain
• Increased spindle gain → worse cervical input

Without targeted neurological care, this loop feeds itself.

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🧠 HOW WE ADDRESS THIS AT theFNC

We don’t chase symptoms.
We correct the sensory signal.

Our approach integrates:
• Cervical proprioceptive retraining
• Visual-vestibular rehabilitation
• Brainstem reflex recalibration
• Neuromodulation (LLLT, ARPwave, tVNS)
• Multisensory integration strategies

This is why many of our patients improve after years of stalled care elsewhere.

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📌 If you’ve been told:
• “Your imaging is normal”
• “It’s just anxiety”
• “You need to rest more”

But your symptoms persist—this model explains why.

🧠 The problem isn’t weakness.
🧠 The problem isn’t motivation.
🧠 The problem is signal quality.

And signal quality can be retrained.

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👉 Learn more at theFNC.com
👉 Share this post if neck injuries, dizziness, or post-concussion symptoms have impacted you or someone you care about

02/01/2026

02/01/2026

ONE HIP SITTING HIGHER THAN THE OTHER – A BIOMECHANICAL EXPLANATION

When one hip consistently sits higher than the other, it reflects an underlying asymmetry in pelvic biomechanics rather than a simple postural habit. The pelvis acts as the foundation for the spine, and even small imbalances at this level can create significant changes in spinal alignment, muscle activation, and load distribution throughout the body.

Biomechanically, a common contributor to this pattern is increased tone or tightness in the hip flexors and quadratus lumborum (QL) on one side. The hip flexors pull the pelvis into anterior tilt, while the QL elevates one side of the pelvis. Together, they create an apparent leg length difference in sitting and standing, even when the bones themselves are equal in length. This altered pelvic position forces the lumbar spine to side-bend and rotate to maintain balance.

At the same time, weak or inhibited gluteal muscles fail to counteract this upward pelvic pull. The gluteus maximus and medius are primary stabilizers of the pelvis during sitting, standing, and walking. When they are underactive, the pelvis loses its ability to remain level, increasing reliance on compensatory muscles such as the QL and hip flexors. This imbalance increases compressive forces on one side of the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joint.

Weak hamstrings further contribute to the problem by reducing posterior pelvic control. Hamstrings normally assist in stabilizing pelvic tilt, especially during transitions between sitting and standing. When they are insufficiently active, the pelvis drifts into asymmetrical positioning, reinforcing uneven loading patterns across the hips and lower back.

Additionally, tight or hypertonic groin (adductor) muscles can pull the femur inward and upward, affecting hip joint alignment. This alters force transmission through the hip and pelvis, increasing stress on the sacroiliac joint and lumbar discs. Over time, this imbalance may manifest as low back pain, hip discomfort, or even knee and foot issues due to altered kinetic chain mechanics.

In summary, one hip sitting higher than the other is a biomechanical issue involving muscle tone imbalance, poor pelvic stabilization, and altered force distribution. Addressing it requires more than posture correction—it demands restoring optimal muscle balance, improving pelvic control, and retraining movement patterns. When pelvic symmetry improves, the spine and lower limbs can function more efficiently, reducing pain and improving overall movement quality.

01/31/2026

01/31/2026

01/31/2026

REFERRED PAIN vs RADICULAR PAIN

01/31/2026

Proximal ITBS is thought to be an enthesopathy of the origin of the iliotibial band, typically related to overload.