Cervical Spine Related Hearing Loss and Neck Pain Relief with Chiropractic

The classic story of the first chiropractic adjustment by DD Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, involves the hearing return of a deaf janitor after spinal manipulation. (1) Fascinating! Today’s research reports help clarify and corroborate the connection of hearing and cervical spine pain issues. Chiropractic Care hears reports of improvement in West Palm Beach chiropractic patients for seemingly unrelated things that brought them into Chiropractic Care for chiropractic care. Patients are thrilled! Chiropractic Care is pleased for them. Let us reflect on this side-effect of hearing loss improvement after chiropractic spinal manipulation.

THE HEARING AND CERVICAL SPINE CONNECTION

Hearing loss is not that rare with cervical spine problems. The connection of cervical spine and hearing has been discussed in the medical publications for years and years. In 1994, one author presented an idea 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) West Palm Beach chiropractic patients report such conditions sometimes, so Chiropractic Care is not surprised at all.

Cervical spine issues can affect ear vessels and/or nerves bringing about hearing loss, vertigo or tinnitus. Cervical spine injuries can trigger pain and limits in range of motion. The likelihood 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 indication of interaction between the somatosensory and auditory brainstem structures, a pathway joining the cervical spine to hearing function. Researchers are seeking ways to describe the pathway and understand better how spinal nerves like those of C2 (the second cervical spine segment) influence 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 experience chronic tension-type headaches and neurosensory-type hearing loss. (5) What does this say about the connection between hearing and the cervical spine? A connection. Chiropractic Care considers this when caring for West Palm Beach cervical spine pain patients who have a hearing loss or deficit.

CHIROPRACTIC HELP FOR West Palm Beach HEARING LOSS RELATED TO CERVICAL SPINE ISSUES

Since that first chiropractic adjustment in 1895, chiropractic has recorded improvement for more cases of hearing issues. A study of 90 patients who experienced cervicogenic sudden hearing loss reported that those who underwent chiropractic treatment in addition to routine medical care bettered their hearing and eased their neck pain effectively after 10 days of care. (6) A case of hearing loss and tinnitus linked to 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 graded 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 satisfying outcomes that West Palm Beach hearing loss patients could accept! Chiropractic Care is up for the chance to help!

CONSIDER Chiropractic Care FOR RELIEF

Listen to this PODCAST about how Cox Technic relieves cervical spine related neck pain and shoulder pain.

Schedule a West Palm Beach chiropractic visit to explore how Chiropractic Care may help relieve cervical spine problems, neck pain and even possibly cervical spine related hearing loss.