Can Cervical Neck Problems Cause Tinnitus

Many Patients Are Not Satisfied With Their Doctors Answer When They Complain About Tinnitus

As mentioned, treating cervical spine disorders is typically not the first line of treatment for tinnitus. Extensive hearing tests are. This is why a portion of tinnitus sufferers may find fault with their treatment programs. It is probably of little comfort to know that you are not alone in thinking this way, but you may take solace in that doctors are trying to figure out how to help you. Unfortunately, if you are reading this article you are likely not satisfied with your doctors answers to the problem of your tinnitus.

In October 2018, researchers at Hofstra, Yale, and Columbia Universities published a paper titled: Tinnitus: A Stepchild in Our Specialty.

They wrote:;Many;patients are not satisfied with their doctors answer when they complain about tinnitus, and called for a new classification system to be used to communicate with;patients;as well as guide future research.

• Type A itemizes the treatable causes of tinnitus.
• Type B itemizes tinnitus with a lack of medical explanation.
• Type C tinnitus is caused by diagnosable and treatable conditions, as listed in tinnitus type A, but the tinnitus persists after the successful treatment of the other symptoms.

The patient types we see are mostly from the B and C types.

Treating Neck Problems And Tinnitus

As said, tinnitus is not a disease itself but a result of other conditions so addressing these can help to alleviate symptoms. Tumors of the neck can be removed with surgery or treated with radiation therapy, as per a doctors advice. Often damage to the TMJ can be addressed with rest or medication.

Other neck injuries may also require rest so that the auditory nerves that have been damaged can also heal. There are treatment options available when tinnitus is the result of neck injury but understanding these causes of the condition is the first step.

Overactive Nerves In Head And Neck May Account For ‘ringing In The Ears’

Results in animals suggest that acupuncture and trigger point therapy may be effective treatments for people plagued by tinnitus

Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan

image:;University of Michigan scientist Susan Shore examines the location of stimulating and recording electrodes used to track nerve cell activity in the brain’s auditory center. Her work sheds light on the link between hearing loss and the widespread problem of tinnitus.view more;

Do your ears ring after a loud concert” Nerves that sense touch in your face and neck may be behind the racket in your brain, University of Michigan researchers say.

Touch-sensing nerve cells step up their activity in the brain after hearing cells are damaged, a study by U-M Kresge Hearing Research Institute scientists shows. Hyperactivity of these touch-sensing neurons likely plays an important role in tinnitus, often called ringing in the ears. The study, now online in the European Journal of Neuroscience, will appear in the journals first January issue.

The research findings were made in animals, but they suggest that available treatments such as acupuncture, if used to target nerves in the head and neck, may provide relief for some people plagued by tinnitus, says Susan E. Shore, Ph.D., lead author of the study and research professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and the Kresge Hearing Research Institute at the U-M Medical School.

For information about tinnitus:

Read Also: How To Unpop Ears From Water

Upper Cervical Chiropractor And Tinnitus

Tinnitus refers to a ringing, buzzing, whistling, or rushing sound in the ear. Do you hear that ringing sound, or is it just me? If you find yourself asking this question , the problem could be tinnitus.

• Why does tinnitus occur?
• How could it be connected to the upper neck?
• Is there a natural way to find relief?

We will address the answers to these questions and more in our article.

How Can The Neck Cause Tinnitus

Most, if not all, professionals can agree that the upper cervical spine, with its neurophysiological connections to the dorsal cochlear ganglion, is the main cause for somatosensory tinnitus.

However, a recent medical study examined the effects of injection to the lower cervical spine, specifically to the 8th cervical nerve.

The 8th cervical nerve is between C7 and T1.

This is called the cervicothoracic junction.

It is not typical location for tinnitus treatments but treatments here to help!

The following are the 4 main conclusions from the research study:

• 26% of the tinnitus patients had a reduction of their tinnitus.

• Most of the successfully treated patients rated the effect of therapy as a moderate reduction of 25% to 50%.

• 50% of the successful treated patients still had benefit at 6.6 months.

• This therapy for tinnitus patients needs to be considered, especially in those with a hearing loss at 500 Hz that exceed the hearing loss at 2 kHZ.

Don’t Miss: Why Are My Ears Ringing All The Time

Doctors Or Patients Note

How frustrating that so many conditions I write about here at NeckSolutions, I suffer from. I hope this can bring an interesting combination of perspectives, however, I am human. In my case, I have been suffering from tinitus for a number of years. Beyond the initial panic, which was very troubling; seemingly out of nowhere, I developed symptoms which were quite severe. It was devastating! I desperately tried everything with no results. I spent years trying to find a correlation between anything and my symptoms. Every time I thought I might be onto something.. nothing. Well, the panic and anxiety make it worse. Lack of sleep, which can be a problem with sufferers, makes it worse.

Well, now I am a primary health care doctor, so lets see my own primary doctor and get to an EENT for an evaluation. Is something horribly wrong? Initial medication was helpful in reducing anxiety and getting more rest. My EENT, was Doctor Avraham Hampel. Now, I have studied and corresponded with some of the brightest minds across the globe and am blown away with the dedication, courage and intelligence of some of these individuals.

• A 2019 study in Otology & Neurotology followed over 30,000 patients to determine risk factors for tinnitis. The potential risk factors included diseases of the ear, upper respiratory tract, psychological, nervous system, endocrine, circulatory system, and hemolytic anemias.

What To Do And Not

Most times, relaxing for a day or two is all you will need to allow your neck issues to heal. But in some instances of extreme pain, you may want to get an over-the-counter medication or undergo heat therapy, or simply place ice over the hurting location.However, putting on a cervical collar to immobilize a stiff neck isn’t advisable. Instead, a patient with a stiff neck should try sticking to their regular activities, if possible, particularly on the first and second day.That said if your stiff neck doesn’t improveafter a week then you may want to check it with a doctor. And irrespective of how long it’s lasted, if other symptoms accompany your stiff neck alongside tinnitus like nausea, vomiting, fever, and headaches, then you should visit a medical professional right away.

You May Like: Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Hearing Aid Loss

Chiropractic Tinnitus Hearing Loss

There is no risk of contracting hearing loss from tinnitus. Ringing in the ears will not damage the nerves that control hearing. With that said tinnitus is commonly associated with people that have worked in environments that have high decibel sounds that can not only be a causative factor in tinnitus but can also cause hearing loss.

Therapy Of C6 And C7 Caused Less Tinnitus For 18% Of The Tinnitus Patients

A January 2021 study in The International Tinnitus Journal intended to estimate the outcome of treatment of C6 and C7 to lessen tinnitus intensity and to find criteria for long-term success.

• In this study, 78 tinnitus patients were treated with of the sixth and seventh cervical nerves.
• 18% of these patients had less tinnitus after the treatment of C6 and C7.
• The majority of the patients announced a moderate easing of their tinnitus.
• At two months and at five months, half of the patients with a positive response still had benefits.

In this study, the steroid was offered. Below we will demonstrate the benefits of dextrose Prolotherapy as an alternative.

Read Also: How To Get Hard Wax Out Of Ear

Tinnitus And The Upper Cervical Spine

At Top Chiropractic, we focus on the alignment of the two bones at the top of the neck. Getting this area of your spine in the correct alignment takes pressure off the nervous structures that can cause tinnitus. Because it is non-invasive, it is a safe intervention to investigate and it is an intervention which could lead to additional, and unexpected health benefits.

We have a number of patients suffering with tinnitus under our care, some who have seen significant changes.

We can also predict how a new patient with this condition may respond to care by considering factors such as chronicity, the length of time the patient has had the problem, the reason for the tinnitus etc.

If you have, or know someone with tinnitus and haven’t had your upper-cervical spine checked, please feel free to book in a call with me and we may be able to help you find a solution to your problem.

For more information on upper-cervical chiropractic, please check out out;blog;or subscribe below.

Experimental Replication Of Tinnitus

After clinical stable improvement, the patient observed that tinnitus might set on as often as he severely inclined his head. Under controlled conditions: tinnitus set on with anterior tilt of the head in position B and reached its maximum with position C .2). With immediate return into initial position A, the tinnitus ended immediately. These inclination angles, measurable at the anterior or the posterior side, reflected the forward inclination of the head, apparently associated with increasing tension of the upper posterior craniocervical myofascial apparatus, from A to B to C.

Don’t Miss: Is Tinnitus A Sign Of Hearing Loss

An Individualized Treatment Protocol May Include The Following:

• A certain number of Prolotherapy visits to resolve the instability.
• Chiropractic consultation and treatment
• An initial period of cervical immobilization with a;cervical collar in order to limit neck forces while the ligaments regenerate.
• A program is initialed to help restore the correct and proper cervical spine curve.
• Our goal is to provide long-term solutions. Through extensive research and patient data analysis, it became clear that in order for patients to obtain;long-term cures; the re-establishment of some lordosis, in their cervical spine is necessary. Once spinal stabilization was achieved with Prolotherapy and the normalization of cervical forces by restoring some lordosis,;lasting relief;of symptoms was highly probable. As with any medical technique, the treatment will not work for everyone. We provide a detailed prescreening process to help assess the ideal candidates for treatment.

What To Do About Sore Neck And Tinnitus Issues

If you are suffering from both a stiff neck and tinnitus, its more than likely youll need to address your TMJ to alleviate these painful symptoms. Depending on the severity of your TMJ disorder, there are several possible treatments, including:;

• Introducing softer foods into your diet;
• Wearing a bite guard or night guard while you sleep to prevent teeth grinding or jaw clenching
• Surgery for the most extreme cases;

As you work through your TMJ issues, there are a few things you can do to help alleviate your neck pain and ringing in the ears.

• For neck pain:slow, gentle neck exercises can help release tension and discomfort, as well as using a warm compress. Deeper massage or physical therapy may be necessary for more intense pain.;
• For tinnitus: removing excess earwax buildup can help reduce tinnitus. For louder ringing, the use of hearing aids also helps dampen the sound.;

Read Also: Can Low Frequency Hearing Loss Be Reversed

Can A Herniated Disc In The Neck Or Whiplash Cause Blurred Vision

Many people contact us via email with their medical concerns. Here are some generalized examples of a person diagnosed with a herniated disc and a vision problem.

I have been having problems getting my eyes to focus. I went to the eye doctor, I got an exam and I am told my eyes are okay.

I have had neck problems for a long time. I have degenerative arthritis and it is not getting better. I have been having problems getting my eyes to focus. I went to the eye doctor, I got an exam and I am told my eyes are okay. The eye doctor suggested I should go to a cardiologist and make sure I do not have a blockage in my neck arteries. I have noticed that as my neck pain is progressing I get more frequent headaches and pain radiates into my jaw. When I told my eye doctor about the jaw pain that is when he suggested the cardiologist.;

After I went to the cardiologist

After the cardiologist, I seem to be okay heart and circulation wise. I have been treated by a chiropractor for a herniated disc at C5-C6. He is also treating me for cervical lordosis. He has been telling me that my vision problems are related to my neck issues and that I should consider some type of injections or eventually a fusion surgery. I need to consider something because the blurry vision, especially in my one eye, is worse.

Can The Lower Neck Be A Reason For Tinnitus

The lower neck can be reason for tinnitus.; It is a subtype of tinnitus that is common and very treatable, which is medically called somatosensory tinnitus.

Therefore, this means that the cause of your ringing or buzzing in your ear could be due to fault of the muscular and joint system.

The most common reason of this disruption is from the cervical spine.A dis- between the auditory and the somatosensory input to the auditory pathway can elicit tinnitus.

Therefore, this is the main premise behind why treating the neck can improve tinnitus.

Read Also: How To Clean Ear Wax With Water

Can Upper Cervical Chiropractic Help Tinnitus

If you are suffering from tinnitus, it just makes sense to give this natural and effective form of care a try. Contact a practitioner in your area today to schedule an examination. If a misalignment is detected, you may have just found the natural way to long-lasting relief.

to schedule a consultation today.

Problems Of Neck Stability And Movement Caused By Muscle Atrophy Can Muscle Atrophy Cause Double Blurry Vision

So the researchers are looking at problems of neck stability and movement caused by muscle atrophy. They also suggest that a reduced range of motion in the neck alters the afferent information from the cervical spine. In our practice, we look also at the problems of cervical ligament instability.

One more problem.;The vestibulo-ocular reflex and the;cervico-ocular reflex;work in conjunction, as the researchers noted:

the vestibular and cervical system cooperate;in order to maintain a clear visual;image during head and eye movements. ; findings suggest that the vestibulo-ocular reflex;does not compensate for the;increased cervico-ocular reflex in the neck pain group.

This mismatch between cervico-ocular reflex and vestibulo-ocular reflex;could lead to visual disturbances,;dizziness, and postural control;disturbances.

The researchers then speculated a question that they said they would look at in;a future study:

Is it possible;to use the cervico-ocular reflex as an outcome measure;to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in people with neck pain? In other words, does vision improvement mean the treatment is working? A patient who has vision impairment improved by neck pain treatments would certainly think so. That is something we have seen here in our practice.

For more information on problems related to vision problems and the cervico-ocular reflex, please see our article: Oscillopsia caused by cervical spine instability

Don’t Miss: What Does Ringing In Your Ears Mean

Tinnitus From Mononuclrosis Physics Behind Tinnitus

Causes For Tinnitus To Get Worse Kenalog Injection Tinnitus Can Cervical Neck Problems Cause Tinnitus. Ear Crystals And Tinnitus Labs For Tinnitus. Radiology Brain Tinnitus Case Study Subjective Tinnitus Example. Hearing Aid Effect On Tinnitus Menopause Tinnitus Forum.

Cracking Neck Tinnitus What Is Best Supplement To Take For Tinnitus 2017. Downloadable Tinnitus Sounds Tinnitus Spread To Both Ears Trick To Rid Of Tinnitus. Als Tinnitus Are Headaches Part Of Tinnitus.

Can Cervical Neck Problems Cause Tinnitus Are There Any Cures For Tinnitus

• Can Sound Machines Cause Tinnitus Logitech Z623 Tinnitus
• High Output Heart Failure And Pulsatile Tinnitus
• Is Tinnitus Just A High Pitched Sound Dr Phillips Research On Tinnitus
• Loud Noise Induced Tinnitus Hearing Loss High Frequency
• Anti Epileptic Medication For Tinnitus
• Sarasota Cold Laser Tinnitus Abc News Multiple Sclerosis Can You Get Tinnitus When You Are Fatiqued
• Apple Cider Vinegar With Mother Tinnitus Can Weather Affect Tinnitus
• People That Have Tinnitus
• Donepezil Tinnitus
• A Doctor Invented A Simple Move To Prevent Tinnitus Muscles Of The Neck That Causes Tinnitus

Jefferson Tinnitus Center How To Prepare Ears With Tinnitus For An Airplane Tinnitus From Overdosing. Www What Happens When Uou Have Tinnitus With A Buzzing Sound Tinnitus Pro Music Therapy Review Excessive Caffeine Tinnitus Dizziness Loss Of Balance. Get You Get Tinnitus In One Ear From Aspartame Whenever I Eat My Tinnitus And Head Pressure Goes Up Calm Clinic Tinnitus.

Recommended Reading: What Is Good For Ear Infection

Chiropractic As An Alternative Treatment Method

A growing number of cases have shown patients who have experienced a decrease in their tinnitus symptoms after repetitive chiropractic sessions.

One cause of tinnitus that may be treated with chiropractic is trauma to the head or neck. These types of injuries can interrupt the normal function of the muscles, blood vessels, and nerves leading to your ears. If you have a vertebral subluxation in your cervical spine, or misalignment in your spinal column, it could potentially be causing the ringing.

Tinnitus may also be caused by tension or spasms in the muscles of the ear: the tensor tympani and the stapedius. Spinal adjustments and alignments may help correct this tension, allowing the muscles and nerves connected to the spine to function normally.

Manipulations may also be able to alleviate the symptoms of TMJ, which is yet another cause of tinnitus.

While chiropractic cannot solve every case of tinnitus, there is a chance your condition is related to your neck and spine and may be alleviated through chiropractic manipulations. Ideal Spine helps individuals look beyond the spine to help restore function to the entire body. Using the holistic Chiropractic BioPhysics approach, our chiropractors may be able to reduce the symptoms of your tinnitus-causing condition.

Pulsatile Tinnitus Chiropractic Adjustment

Like all conditions that we see in our office, there is no specific correction to treat a particular condition. The goal of upper cervical care is to restore normal alignment of the upper neck to maximize nervous system function. Pulsatilla tinnitus is one of the types of tinnitus and like regular tinnitus some cases recover their health following upper cervical correction.

You May Like: How To Treat An Ear Infection From Earrings

I Have Extreme Tinnitus Which Gets Better Or Worse When I Rotate My Neck When I Move My Head From Side To Side It Gets Better When I Move My Head Up And Down It Gets Worse Then My Jaw Hurts

Tinnitus can be caused by;temporomandibular disorders. Temporomandibular disorders can be caused by cervical neck instability. Shouldnt we then explore the source?;Cervical neck instability?

Listen to this research, published in January 2019, it comes from medical university doctors in Sweden, published in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. In this study, the doctors;evaluated the prevalence of tinnitus in patients with temporomandibular disorders and the possible effects of TMJ/TMD treatment on tinnitus symptoms.

Here is what they discovered: The finding that tinnitus is more common in patients with TMD means that it can be regarded as a comorbidity to TMD. However, in view of the lack of evidence currently available, further well-designed and randomized studies with control groups are needed to investigate whether possible mechanisms common to tinnitus and TMD do exist and whether TMD treatment can be justified to try to alleviate tinnitus in patients with TMD and comorbidity of tinnitus.

• Listen again: The study says there is a connection between;temporomandibular disorders and;tinnitus. The researchers cannot make a definitive connection because available research on treatment does not allow them to suggest a treatment that would appear to be beneficial to BOTH problems.
• Something is missing in this puzzle.; In our opinion at Caring Medical, it is a diagnosis of cervical instability.

The Answers To Tinnitus May Lie In Something Hidden

In this article, we are going to make a case for something hidden, the non-treatment, or lack of treatment, of cervical neck instability as a cause of tinnitus in some people. We will present the evidence for Prolotherapy injections as a treatment for cervical neck instability and treatment for a symptom of cervical neck instability, tinnitus.

• The focus of this article is that for many sufferers, tinnitus is a mechanical disorder of the cervical spine as borne out by TMJ-TMD involvement and new research below on a migraine trigger called Clocking Tinnitus.

Throughout our website, we have demonstrated that problems of the head and neck, including sensory issues of sight and sound, are more than an isolated problem of a single diagnosis. TMJ needs to be treated with a focus on cervical neck instability. Cervical neck instability needs to be treated as a problem of itself and the cause of a vast myriad of symptoms including TMJ and Tinnitus, among others.

The patients that we see in our clinics, maybe just like yourself, have been on long journeys looking for help for their problems. They often spend a lot of time on trial and error medications and treatments looking for that correct combination that will provide relief.

The United States National Library of Medicine has a web page dedicated to Tinnitus.

The common causes of tinnitus:

Don’t Miss: Which Side To Sleep On Ear Infection

What Is Tinnitus And What Causes It

Tinnitus is a symptom of other conditions rather than a condition all by itself. Sometimes it may be a temporary experience. If youve ever been to a rock concert, you probably experienced tinnitus afterward. However, for many people, tinnitus becomes a chronic issue. In such cases, the following tinnitus causes may play a role:

• Blockage If the ear becomes blocked by cerumen or by the fluid in the ear building up , tinnitus can result.
• Side Effect Various medications cause tinnitus as a side effect. Some of the more common ones include antibiotics, aspirin, certain anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, and quinine medications.
• Deterioration If the cochlea or other parts of the inner ear begin to break down, this can cause a buzzing or ringing sound.
• Medical Conditions Certain conditions such as hypertension , cardiovascular issues, anemia, allergies, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and thyroid problems can all cause tinnitus. Menieres disease is a vestibular condition that has tinnitus as one of its primary symptoms.
• Neck injuries Whether caused by head or neck trauma or by some other issue with the neck and TMJ , neck problems are a common source of tinnitus. Neck pain and tinnitus frequently go hand in hand.

As you can see, the neck is one of the main players when it comes to tinnitus. Lets take a closer look at the structures of the neck that can lead to tinnitus and how they relate to a number of the causes noted above.

Do You Experience Tinnitus In Your Dreams

• In the 2014 journal of Neural Plasticity, a study indicated tinnitus is not experienced when dreaming. They investigated 78 patients at a specialized research clinic, of which 97% did not experience tinitus in their dreams. They hypothesized that during dreaming, a prediction error from interacting with the environment in tinnitus is not present.

The authors note that tinnitus is a phantom perception, awareness of sound in the absence of an external source, noting the sound can be pulled from memory. It was interesting to note that among individuals with normal hearing, 80% hear phantom sounds in a soundproof room. The study has benefits for future research into the nervous pathway and disrupting the pathway to alleviate the symptom. The authors concluded that the perception is switched off when dreaming, despite there being awareness, similar to wakefulness.

You May Like: How To Clear A Blocked Ear From Cold