Cervical Spine Related Hearing Loss and Neck Pain Relief with Chiropractic
The traditional 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 reports help clarify and corroborate the connection of hearing and cervical spine pain issues. Apple Country Chiropractic hears stories of improvement in Williamson chiropractic patients for seemingly unrelated things that brought them into Apple Country Chiropractic for chiropractic care. Patients are delighted! Apple Country Chiropractic is pleased for them. Let us 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 problems. The relationship of cervical spine and hearing has been presented in the medical publications for decades. In 1994, one author submitted a discussion of the existence of a “vertebragenic hearing disorder” that accompanies 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) Williamson chiropractic patients report such issues on occasion, so Apple Country Chiropractic is not surprised at all.
Cervical spine issues can affect ear vessels and/or nerves resulting in 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 usual in men. (3) Further, there is indication of interaction between the somatosensory and auditory brainstem structures, a pathway connecting the cervical spine to hearing function. Researchers are seeking ways to find 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 extending to the cochlear nucleus. (4) Patients who have Kimmerle’s anomaly – an anatomical modification of the first cervical segment (C1) – often suffer with 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. Apple Country Chiropractic considers this when caring for Williamson cervical spine pain patients who have a hearing loss or deficit.
CHIROPRACTIC HELP FOR Williamson HEARING LOSS RELATED TO CERVICAL SPINE ISSUES
Since that first chiropractic adjustment in 1895, chiropractic has documented improvement for more patients with hearing issues. A study of 90 patients who had cervicogenic sudden hearing loss recorded that those who had chiropractic treatment in addition to routine medical care improved their hearing and alleviated 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 having chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment. On a scale of 0 (no problem) to 10 (complete impairment), she graded her problems a 7 at the beginning of care and a 1 at the end of 5 months of care. An audiogram was normal, too. (7) These are pleasing outcomes that Williamson hearing loss patients could welcome! Apple Country Chiropractic is ready for the chance to help!
CONSIDER Apple Country Chiropractic FOR RELIEF
Listen to this PODCAST about how Cox Technic eases cervical spine related neck pain and shoulder pain.
Schedule a Williamson chiropractic appointment to see how Apple Country Chiropractic may help improve cervical spine issues, neck pain and even potentially cervical spine related hearing loss.
