Tinnitus – Ringing in the Ear – Helped with Chiropractic
The case described in the research article linked below goes through the story of a 42 year old chiropractic patient whose tinnitus was improved after focusing the chiropractic care on the neck and jaw. This is actually not uncommon. I see this often in my Chiropractic practice in Caledonia. Often times these patients present with headaches or neck pains along with a buzzing or humming in their ear or ears.
Improving Tinnitus with Mechanical Treatment of the Cervical Spine and Jaw
Excerpts from the article are quoted below.
“This article describes a case report of a 42-year-old male auto mechanic experiencing intermittent bilateral tinnitus, headaches, blurred vision, and neck tightness. He described his tinnitus as a “buzzing”. He also suffered from neck pain, headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision. His occupation as a mechanic required maintenance of prolonged positions of head protrusion and neck flexion while working.”
What is tinnitus?
This is usually described by patients as a buzzing in the ear, but each patient’s experience with the sound they hear is different. I have even heard patients say that their ear is humming.
“Subjective tinnitus is described as the perception of sound in the absence of an external sound source.”
How can the neck and jaw create tinnitus?
“Musculature and joint pathologies of the head and neck are frequently associated with tinnitus.”
“This case reflected treatment targeted at cervical (neck) and TMJ impairments and notable improvements to tinnitus.”
The neck and jaw can create tinnitus because of the closeness of the structures as well as the neurology involved. If you touch immediately below your ear, you are actually contacting the first bone in your neck! And if you move slightly forward from this point, you are touching to back of your jaw bone! What I often say to patients is that your brain confuses the signals of pain from your upper neck and/or your jaw for sound due to the closeness of the structures. That is how there is a “buzzing” in the ear even without any actual sound in the environment.
Can I be losing my hearing?
It is possible that you have damaged the cells in your ear responsible for hearing. Hopefully this is not the case, but testing this is important at a hearing assessment location. While you test your hearing, do not forget to also get a Chiropractic examination to determine if your jaw and neck are part of the problem. The earlier you address the underlying issues to your tinnitus, the easier it is for your body to adapt to the problem and heal.
If you are curious to learn if your case is a Chiropractic case, schedule an exam with a Chiropractor now. The testing that we do as a Chiropractor allows us to identify misalignments in the spine and jaw that can be impacting your body’s ability to function and heal properly.
Here is a 2023 research article that is worth reviewing as well!
Resolution of Tinnitus Following Chiropractic Care: A Case Study & Review of the Literature
Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research, Volume 2023