Dizziness is a word doing several jobs at once. Spinning is not the same as swaying, and neither is the same as feeling faint — and the difference between them is the first thing worth pinning down, because it points to quite different causes.
Wind, phlegm and emptiness above
Chinese medicine has described vertigo for two thousand years under the heading of xuan yun. Phlegm-damp obstructing the head produces the heavy, muzzy, nauseous spinning with a thick tongue coating. Liver yang rising gives the sharper, angrier dizziness with headache, tinnitus and irritability, often worse with stress. Qi and blood deficiency produces the lightheaded, faint, worse-on-standing pattern in people who are depleted. Kidney essence deficiency underlies the chronic dizziness of later life, often with tinnitus and poor memory.
The classics describe this positionally rather than as a symptom in isolation. The Systematic Classic lists spinning of the head on attempting to stand up among the signs ruled by Passage Hub (Guan Chong, TH-1), grouped with pain in the shoulders and upper back and an inability to turn round — that is, dizziness recorded together with what the neck and the posture were doing when it happened. A separate entry gives spinning of the head with pain in the eyes at Jade Pillow (Yu Zhen, BL-9). Reading the trigger as part of the presentation is still the most useful thing about the assessment, because positional, cervical and central causes need to be told apart before anything else is decided.
What an assessment for dizziness involves
Treatment combines points on the head and neck with distal points chosen for the pattern — descending points for rising yang, transforming points for phlegm, tonifying points and moxibustion for deficiency. Herbal medicine is frequently central, as several classical formulas address exactly these presentations. We also assess the neck, because cervical tension contributes to a good deal of everyday unsteadiness.
How good is the evidence in vertigo?
The research base for this specific condition is limited — small trials, mixed quality. Treatment here rests on pattern-based clinical reasoning and long traditional use, offered as supportive care alongside your medical management rather than on the basis of established effect. The most important thing this page can offer is not a claim but a triage: benign positional vertigo, vestibular neuritis, Ménière’s disease, blood pressure and medication effects all cause dizziness and all need identifying. Some, like positional vertigo, respond dramatically to a specific repositioning manoeuvre that we would send you for rather than attempt to substitute.
How we approach dizziness here
Dizziness patients at Balmoral and Alexandra Hills fall into two groups: those still looking for a diagnosis, whom we send back to their GP with specific questions, and those who have one and are managing residual symptoms. The second group is where we can help — the lingering unsteadiness after a vestibular episode, the dizziness that rides on neck tension and stress, and the depleted pattern in someone who has been unwell.
Steadying yourself day to day
Move deliberately rather than quickly, especially getting out of bed — sit first, then stand. Keep fluids up; mild dehydration is a surprisingly common contributor in a Queensland summer. Have your blood pressure and medications reviewed, as several common drugs cause dizziness. If your dizziness is triggered by rolling over or looking up, ask specifically about benign positional vertigo, which has a treatment that often works in a single session. Balance work reduces fall risk and is worth starting early.
Dizziness that needs urgent care
Dizziness with sudden severe headache, double vision, slurred speech, facial or limb weakness, difficulty walking, or sudden hearing loss is a stroke until proven otherwise — call emergency services. New dizziness with chest pain or palpitations needs urgent assessment. Recurrent falls in an older adult need a proper medical review rather than management at home.
Individual responses vary, and assessment determines whether this approach suits your situation. Call (07) 3820 2887 or book online at our Balmoral or Alexandra Hills clinics.
Dizziness questions we hear often
What is the difference between dizziness and vertigo?
Vertigo is the illusion of movement — spinning or tilting. Dizziness is broader and includes lightheadedness and unsteadiness. Telling us exactly what you feel and what triggers it narrows the cause considerably.
Should I see a doctor before booking?
For new or unexplained dizziness, yes. Several causes need identifying medically, and one of the most common has a specific manoeuvre that resolves it quickly. We would rather you have that than treatment you do not need.
Can neck tension really cause dizziness?
Neck problems are a recognised contributor to unsteadiness, and we assess the neck as part of the picture. It is rarely the whole story, but it is often part of it.
References
- Yang Z, Li P, et al. Comparative effectiveness of acupuncture and Tuina for cervical vertigo. Frontiers in Neurology. 2026. doi:10.3389/fneur.2026.1691312 (cervical vertigo specifically)
- Huangfu Mi. The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing), c. 259 CE. Translated by Yang Shou-zhong and Charles Chace. Boulder: Blue Poppy Press, 1994.
Written and clinically reviewed by Dr Francesco Pennisi
Registered Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist & Chinese Medicine Practitioner · Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (AHPRA) · AACMA Member
Dr Francesco brings more than 30 years of clinical experience to Results Acupuncture’s Balmoral and Alexandra Hills clinics, combining acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and related therapies.
