Can Chiropractic Care help with Tinnitus?

Chiropractic care is a viable option for patients who suffer from tinnitus. There is a case study (link here) done in 2010 involving a 40 year old female patient who suffered from Meniere's Disease. She reported to have 2 months of experiencing vertigo, as well as 16 months of left sided Tinnitus. She also had symptoms including neck pain, TMJ, and headaches. After receiving chiropractic care for two weeks, which consisted of upper cervical spine adjustments and trigger point work performed to her trapezius muscle, her tinnitus had completely resolved and her other symptoms of headaches, dizziness and vertigo had also got better as well.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is described as a ringing that is heard in either one or both ears, when there isn't external noise present. The sound and pitch can vary from person to person. Tinnitus is very common, affecting anywhere from 15- 20% of people (link here). Causes of tinnitus include

1. Damage to the small hair cells in the inner ear
2. Temporal mandibular joint dysfunction
3. Injury to the head or neck
4. Medications (NSAIDS, Antidepressants)
5. Lifestyle (excess caffeine, stress, obesity, cardiovascular disease, sleep, alcohol/ tobacco use)
6. Meniere's Diseases
7. Migraines
8. Systemic conditions  
9. Eustachian tube dysfunction

Prevention of Tinnitus

For most individuals the cause of tinnitus is uncertain, with no underlying condition claimed to be the cause. To possibly prevent tinnitus, it is recommended to: 

• Limit exposure to loud noises such as gun shots or music.
• Modify lifestyle factors such as a set amount of coffee in the morning
• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day of light cardio 
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night
• Avoiding alcohol and tobacco use.
• Chiropractic care

Where does Chiropractic Come In?

Chiropractors are trained to evaluate and treat most all underlying causes of tinnitus. This includes evaluation and treatment of the head and neck when dealing with injury and/ or joint dysfunction, temporal mandibular joint dysfunction and eustachian tube dysfunction. Chiropractors will often times offer counseling regarding lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep and stress. Chiropractic care has shown repeated success with temporal mandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD), headaches, eustachian tube dysfunction and head and neck injury/ joint dysfunction, all of which can be primary causes of tinnitus. Chiropractic care for tinnitus typically would involve the upper cervical vertebrae, as well as possibly having an ear adjustment (learn more about "ear adjustments" here)

The case study presented in the beginning is a great example of the success we often see when treating patients with tinnitus. For a lot of people who suffer from tinnitus, they have exhausted almost all options of treatment with little to no relief. Chiropractic care is a safe, non-invasive, medication free option that we find to have great success in our office! 

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Reach us online at Gallatinvalleychiropractic.com

References

Emary, Peter C. “Chiropractic Management of a 40-Year-Old Female Patient with Ménière Disease.” Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, Elsevier, Mar. 2010, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3081245/. 

“Tinnitus.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 4 Feb. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symptoms-causes/syc-20350156#:~:text=Tinnitus%20is%20usually%20caused%20by,noise%2C%20making%20tinnitus%20less%20noticeable.