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, details the hearing restoration of a deaf janitor after spinal manipulation. (1) Fascinating! Today’s research studies help describe and corroborate the connection of hearing and cervical spine pain issues. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre hears stories of improvement in Toronto chiropractic patients for issues not always related to the issue that brought them into Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre for chiropractic care. Patients are thrilled! Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is ecstatic for them. Let us consider this side-effect of hearing loss recovery after chiropractic spinal manipulation.
THE HEARING AND CERVICAL SPINE CONNECTION
Hearing loss is not that unusual with cervical spine issues. The connection of cervical spine and hearing has been considered in the medical literature for years and years. In 1994, one author gave 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 linked 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) Toronto chiropractic patients recount such problems on occasion, so Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre 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 trigger 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 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 working 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 discovered projections from C2 dorsal root ganglion stretching to the cochlear nucleus. (4) Patients who have Kimmerle’s anomaly – an anatomical modification of the first cervical segment (C1) – often experience 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. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre considers this when treating Toronto cervical spine pain patients with a hearing loss or deficit.
CHIROPRACTIC HELP FOR Toronto HEARING LOSS RELATED TO CERVICAL SPINE ISSUES
Since that first chiropractic adjustment in 1895, chiropractic has documented improvement for more cases of 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 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 gratifying outcomes that Toronto hearing loss patients could embrace! Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is up for the chance to help!
CONSIDER Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre FOR RELIEF
Listen to this PODCAST about how Cox Technic relieves cervical spine related neck pain and shoulder pain.
Schedule a Toronto chiropractic appointment to see how Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre may help relieve cervical spine problems, neck pain and even potentially cervical spine related hearing loss.
