Landmark One-Year Randomized Controlled Trial Demonstrates Lasting Relief for Cervicogenic Dizziness Through Cervical Spine Structural Correction

By: Deed E. Harrison, DC

Eagle, Idaho — January 19, 2026

A groundbreaking randomized controlled trial published in the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (a top tier Q1 ranked journal) provides compelling evidence that restoring normal cervical spine alignment using the Denneroll cervical orthotic leads to significant, long-term improvements in cervicogenic dizziness, neck pain, disability, and sensorimotor function—outcomes that conventional therapies alone failed to sustain.

The study, led by Ibrahim M. Moustafa, PT, PhD, with co-authors Aliaa A. Diab, PT, PhD, and Deed E. Harrison, DC, followed 72 patients with chronic cervicogenic dizziness over a 1-year period. All participants received a comprehensive multimodal rehabilitation program. However, only the experimental group received cervical lordosis restoration and forward head posture correction using the cervical Denneroll extension traction orthotic.

While both groups experienced short-term symptom relief at 10 weeks, the results at one year revealed a striking divergence strongly favoring the Denneroll orthotic traction group:

• Patients who underwent cervical structural rehabilitation continued to improve across all major outcomes.
• Patients who received conventional care alone regressed toward baseline levels, with worsening dizziness, pain, and disability.

At one-year follow-up, the cervical spine structurally corrected group demonstrated:

• Nearly 30-point improvement in Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores;
• Marked reductions in dizziness severity and frequency;
• Sustained pain reduction;
• Significant improvements in head repositioning accuracy, reflecting normalized cervicocephalic proprioception;
• Maintenance of restored cervical lordosis and reduced forward head posture.

By contrast, the control group not receiving the Denneroll orthotic —despite identical short-term care—showed deterioration in symptoms once treatment ceased.

“These findings clearly demonstrate that short-term symptom relief is not the same as long-term recovery with spine corrective ,” said Dr. Deed Harrison, co-author and spinal biomechanics researcher.

“If we fail to address abnormal cervical structure and head posture, we are simply managing symptoms. This study shows that restoring normal cervical alignment produces durable sensorimotor control and mechanical improvements that persist long after care has ended.”

The authors emphasize that cervicogenic dizziness is not solely a soft-tissue or vestibular issue, but can also be a biomechanical and neurophysiological disorder strongly linked to sagittal cervical alignment in this subgroup. Forward head posture and loss of cervical lordosis were shown to disrupt afferent input, impair sensorimotor integration, and accelerate degenerative loading of cervical tissues.

Importantly, this is the first long-term randomized controlled trial to isolate the independent effect of structural cervical rehabilitation on cervical-genic dizziness outcomes—establishing a new standard for evidence-based spine care.

Clinical Impact

The study concludes that effective long-term management of cervicogenic dizziness should include correction of cervical lordosis and head posture, not just manual therapy or exercise. This research has significant implications for physical rehabilitation, chiropractic, and integrative spine care worldwide.

Citation

Moustafa IM, Diab AA, Harrison DE. The effect of normalizing the sagittal cervical configuration on dizziness, neck pain, and cervicocephalic kinesthetic sensibility: a 1-year randomized controlled study. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2017;53:57-71.

 Read the full article and support CBP® NonProfit research: https://www.minervamedica.it/en/journals/europa-medicophysica/article.php?cod=R33Y2017N01A0057

About Dr. Deed E. Harrison

Dr. Harrison is a globally recognized chiropractic researcher and pioneer in spinal rehabilitation methods, serving as President/CEO of Chiropractic BioPhysics® (CBP) NonProfit. He has co-authored more than 260 peer-reviewed publications and lectures internationally on evidence-based structural spine care.

About CBP Non-Profit

This publication reflects the mission of CBP Non-Profit—advancing spine and posture research to improve patient care worldwide. Our ongoing projects continue to validate the role of posture correction in musculoskeletal and neurological health.

 Learn more: www.CBPNonprofit.com

About CBP Non-Profit
CBP NonProfit is a 501(c)(3) research foundation dedicated to the advancement of spine rehabilitation through high-quality, peer-reviewed chiropractic and physiotherapy research. With over 350 published studies to date, CBP NonProfit is a global leader in evidence-based spinal care innovation.