Cervical Spine Related Hearing Loss and Neck Pain Relief with Chiropractic
The classic account of the first chiropractic adjustment by DD Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, involves the hearing restoration of a deaf janitor after spinal manipulation. (1) So interesting! Today’s research reports help clarify and corroborate the connection of hearing and cervical spine pain issues. Aaron Chiropractic Clinic hears reports of improvement in Fort Wayne chiropractic patients for seemingly unrelated things that brought them into Aaron Chiropractic Clinic for chiropractic care. Patients are elated! Aaron Chiropractic Clinic 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 problems. The relationship of cervical spine and hearing has been presented in the medical publications for years and years. In 1994, one author gave 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 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) Fort Wayne chiropractic patients report such issues sometimes, so Aaron Chiropractic Clinic is not shocked 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 likelihood 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 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 extending 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 indicate about the connection between hearing and the cervical spine? A connection. Aaron Chiropractic Clinic considers this when treating Fort Wayne cervical spine pain patients who have a hearing loss or deficit.
CHIROPRACTIC HELP FOR Fort Wayne 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 underwent chiropractic treatment in addition to routine medical care improved their hearing and relieved 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 start of care and a 1 at the end of 5 months of care. An audiogram was normal, too. (7) These are gratifying outcomes that Fort Wayne hearing loss patients could embrace! Aaron Chiropractic Clinic is ready for the opportunity to help!
CONSIDER Aaron Chiropractic Clinic FOR RELIEF
Listen to this PODCAST about how Cox Technic alleviates cervical spine related neck pain and shoulder pain.
Schedule a Fort Wayne chiropractic appointment to explore how Aaron Chiropractic Clinic may help improve cervical spine issues, neck pain and even potentially cervical spine related hearing loss.
