There is a type of dizziness that is difficult to describe. It is a dizziness that is a loss of balance with our surroundings. Some people describe it as a loss of equilibrium. They feel that they are unsure of their feet.

Others have described this kind of dizziness as feeling as if they are on a rocking boat. They bump into furniture and push their friends or family off the sidewalk because they cannot walk straight. Sometimes they also have a roaring sound in one or both ears. And finally, there is often an ache in the head, in the side of the face, or a tightness and above the ear.

The cause of this different kind of dizziness does not lie in the workings of the inner ear. The cause of this not very unusual kind of dizziness lies in the strap muscle in the front of the neck that is properly called the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

Sudden backward snaps of the head, like a whiplash of the head and neck, can injure the muscle and cause it to develop shortened, tight, painful bands within the muscle that cause tenderness and pain. These are called trigger points.

Holding the head in a position that shortens the sternocleidomastoid neck muscle for long periods of time can also cause the muscle to become tender and painful.

The muscle will not be found to be the culprit, however, unless it is examined carefully. Examination means grasping the muscle between the index finger and the thumb to feel the quality of the tissue, to identify stringiness in the muscle, and to see if pain can be produced by a pinching of the muscle. Pain that is produced in the muscle in this manner is often felt in the head, reproducing part of the patient’s head pain or tightness.

Dizziness caused by this muscle is treated by eliminating the shortened, painful bands in the muscle, and the other head, neck and shoulder muscles that may also have painful regions within them. The treatment starts with knowing that trigger points in the sternocleidomastoid muscle can cause dizziness. The muscle is then relaxed through one of several possible physical therapy techniques. Gentle stretching exercises are prescribed for home treatment.

Finally, if there are ongoing stressors that cause this muscle to develop trigger points, they must be identified and avoided or corrected. The success rate for treating this kind of dizziness is high, providing only that the sternocleidomastoid muscle is thought of as a possible cause.