Cervical Spine Related Hearing Loss and Neck Pain Relief with Chiropractic
The timeless story of the first chiropractic adjustment by DD Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, details the hearing return of a deaf janitor after spinal manipulation. (1) Fascinating! Today’s research studies help clarify and corroborate the connection of hearing and cervical spine pain issues. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office hears stories of improvement in Groton chiropractic patients for issues not always related to the issue that brought them into Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office for chiropractic care. Patients are delighted! Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is excited for them. Let’s consider this side-effect of hearing loss improvement after chiropractic spinal manipulation.
THE HEARING AND CERVICAL SPINE CONNECTION
Hearing loss is not that uncommon with cervical spine issues. The connection of cervical spine and hearing has been considered in the medical publications for decades. In 1994, one author submitted a discussion of the existence of a “vertebragenic hearing disorder” that comes with tinnitus, a feeling of ear pressure, otalgia and deafness due to functional deficit of the upper cervical spine. He attached conditions like cervical vertigo and hearing disorders in 15% of patients with cervical spine issues and hearing losses of 5 to 25 decibels in 40% of them. (2) Groton chiropractic patients recount such issues on occasion, so Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is not surprised at all.
Cervical spine issues can affect ear vessels and/or nerves causing hearing loss, vertigo or tinnitus. Cervical spine injuries can produce pain and limits in range of motion. The possibility of hearing loss in patients with limited left rotation ability is high. Such hearing loss after a cervical spine injury is more common in men. (3) Additionally, there is evidence of interaction between the somatosensory and auditory brainstem structures, a pathway linking the cervical spine to hearing function. Researchers are working to define the pathway and understand better how spinal nerves like those of C2 (the second cervical spine segment) have an effect on auditory responses (hearing). They have found projections from C2 dorsal root ganglion stretching to the cochlear nucleus. (4) Patients who have Kimmerle’s anomaly – an anatomical variant of the first cervical segment (C1) – often have chronic tension-type headaches and neurosensory-type hearing loss. (5) What does this indicate about the connection between hearing and the cervical spine? A connection. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office considers this when making a treatment plan for Groton cervical spine pain patients who have a hearing loss or deficit.
CHIROPRACTIC HELP FOR Groton HEARING LOSS RELATED TO CERVICAL SPINE ISSUES
Since that first chiropractic adjustment in 1895, chiropractic has recorded improvement for more patients with hearing issues. A study of 90 patients who had cervicogenic sudden hearing loss recorded that those who underwent chiropractic treatment in addition to routine medical care improved their hearing and eased their neck pain effectively after 10 days of care. (6) A case of hearing loss and tinnitus associated with cervicogenic neck pain in a female patient whose hearing and tinnitus were improved after undergoing chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment. On a scale of 0 (no problem) to 10 (complete impairment), she rated her issues a 7 at the beginning of care and a 1 at the conclusion of 5 months of care. An audiogram was normal, too. (7) These are pleasing outcomes that Groton hearing loss patients could accept! Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is ready for the opportunity to help!
CONSIDER Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office FOR RELIEF
Listen to this PODCAST about how Cox Technic eases cervical spine related neck pain and shoulder pain.
Schedule a Groton chiropractic appointment to experience how Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office may help ease cervical spine problems, neck pain and even potentially cervical spine related hearing loss.
