This can be a reason for your tinnitus

If you have this going on, it could be the reason for your tinnitus

Tinnitus is the phantom sensation of sound in the absence of overt acoustic stimulation.

Somatosensory tinnitus is a cause of subjective tinnitus that should be taken into account in patients with signs and symptoms of cervical pain and dysfunction, especially those with normal audiometric tests.

Somatosensory tinnitus is a subgroup of tinnitus that is responsive to manual-based tinnitus treatments by your physical therapist. This could provide relief from your tinnitus symptoms. This can include, but not limited to:

  • Cervical Joint Mobilization or Manipulation

  • Temporomandibular Joint Mobilization

  • Myofascial Release to neck and jaw/face

  • Trigger point release to neck and jaw/face

  • Specific pain relieving exercises to your neck and jaw/face

If you have had normal audiometric tests or even have hearing aids to address tinnitus but continuing to have symptoms, we recommend you speak with your physician and/or audiologist. Usually, our patients mention that their tinnitus symptoms often change in its loudness, pitch, or localization during movement (actively by your own muscles or passively by a clinician or even dentist) in the head or neck region.

If you notice the above correlation, you may benefit from an evaluation and treatment to determine if any of your current remaining symptoms are due to the TMJ (face/jaw) or the neck.

Tinnitus treatment in Wake Forest, NC

To help you make an even better decision, we are providing data from Sanchez and Rocha in 2011.

The following are the set of diagnostic criteria from the authors to help in recognizing patients with tinnitus.

If you have any of these, it is more likely you have a subtype of tinnitus called somatosensory tinnitus and you could benefit from treatments.

According to these criteria, somatosensory tinnitus is suspected when the medical history shows at least one of the following:

  1. evident history of head or neck trauma

  2. tinnitus association with some manipulation of the teeth, jaw, or cervical spine

  3. recurrent pain episodes in head, neck, or shoulder girdle

  4. temporal coincidence of appearance or increase of both pain and tinnitus

  5. increase in tinnitus during inadequate postures during rest, walking, working, or sleeping; and

  6. intense bruxism periods during the day or night

Conclusion

Managing tinnitus effectively requires a collaborative effort, as it takes a dedicated team of healthcare professionals, audiologists, and individuals to find the right strategies for relief and support.

If you suspect somatosensory tinnitus or experience any of the mentioned symptoms, we recommend seeking professional evaluation and guidance to better understand and address this unique form of tinnitus.

Patients presenting with tinnitus should consider specialized physical therapy.   We provide a comprehensive treatment approach through our Somatosensory Tinnitus Relief Program.

Don’t hesitate to contact us today so we can help you!

Tinnitus Treatment