Cervical Spine Therapy

Cervical spine therapy

If tinnitus is caused by a dysfunction of the cervical spine, the affected person perceives a ringing in the ears. This can be heard as a deep humming or roaring sound that can often be influenced by turning the head. Dizziness often accompanies cervical spine tinnitus. Hearing disorders may also occur.

It is important to carry out a targeted diagnosis of the spine. A team of ENT specialists, orthopaedists, pain therapists, atlas therapists and physiotherapists is therefore available for diagnosis and treatment in order to identify and efficiently treat possible disorders. This therapy is provided on an outpatient basis and close to home.

Tinnitus caused by temporomandibular joint and cervical spine complaints
With the temporomandibular joint, the vertical jaw relation (spatial positional relationship of the lower jaw to the upper jaw) and the chewing musculature, there is a balance with a painless, smooth movement sequence with proper anatomy and function.

If one of the components is disturbed, a disharmony in the movement sequence arises – pain when chewing or in the jaw joint is compensated or decompensated by ‘new’ shifting movements of the jaw. This in turn usually leads to the projection of pain into adjacent regions of the head and neck area, with possible symptoms such as earache, dizziness, hearing loss or tinnitus, and even tension in the cervical spine.

Treatments, inflammations, traumas or fractures in the jaw area/temporomandibular joint, teeth grinding or clenching can also be significant for the above-mentioned symptoms and should be further investigated if tinnitus occurs.

A proven functional disorder of the masticatory system (craniomandibular dysfunction – CMD) always leads to a blockage of the upper cervical spine and can also trigger tinnitus from there. However, the interaction is also important here: if there is a blockage or functional disorder in the area of the upper cervical spine , this can affect the function and balance of the masticatory system.
The connection between an unbalanced jaw movement, pain-compensating posture, especially in the neck and shoulder area, and tinnitus development is therefore obvious.

Since the causes, symptoms and appearances of tinnitus are very diverse and, above all, individual, no general treatment scheme can be given at this point. It is therefore necessary to have an interdisciplinary diagnosis and clarification by specialists and to initiate an individually tailored therapy based on the findings.

This article is based on information from the following sources:
Hülse, Neuhuber, Wolff: The upper cervical spine. Pathophysiology and clinic.
Springer Verlag 2005
Deutsches Ärzteblatt, 7/1997. Tinnitus from a dental perspective.
Dr. med. Dr. med. dent. Thilo Prochno
Chief Physician, MKG Surgery/Plastic Surgery/Specialist in Oral Surgery
Helios Klinikum Bad Saarow
D-15526 Bad Saarow