Cervical Spine Related Hearing Loss and Neck Pain Relief with Chiropractic

The traditional account 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 studies help explain and corroborate the connection of hearing and cervical spine pain issues. Layden Chiropractic hears reports of improvement in Plainville chiropractic patients for issues not always related to the issue that brought them into Layden Chiropractic for chiropractic care. Patients are delighted! Layden Chiropractic is pleased for them. Let’s study 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 issues. The association of cervical spine and hearing has been considered in the medical literature for decades. In 1994, one author presented an idea 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 tied 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) Plainville chiropractic patients report such problems on occasion, so Layden Chiropractic 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 cause pain and limits in range of motion. The chance 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) Further, there is evidence of interaction between the somatosensory and auditory brainstem structures, a pathway connecting the cervical spine to hearing function. Researchers are working to find 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 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. Layden Chiropractic considers this when treating Plainville cervical spine pain patients with a hearing loss or deficit.

CHIROPRACTIC HELP FOR Plainville 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 recovered 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 start of care and a 1 at the end of 5 months of care. An audiogram was normal, too. (7) These are satisfying outcomes that Plainville hearing loss patients could welcome! Layden Chiropractic is ready for the chance to help!

CONSIDER Layden Chiropractic FOR RELIEF

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

Schedule a Plainville chiropractic visit to see how Layden Chiropractic may help ease cervical spine issues, neck pain and even possibly cervical spine related hearing loss.