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 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. Satterwhite Chiropractic hears reports of improvement in Oxford chiropractic patients for issues not always related to the issue that brought them into Satterwhite Chiropractic for chiropractic care. Patients are delighted! Satterwhite 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 uncommon with cervical spine issues. The association of cervical spine and hearing has been discussed in the medical literature for decades. In 1994, one author submitted a discussion 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 issues 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) Oxford chiropractic patients report such issues sometimes, so Satterwhite 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 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) Additionally, 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) have an effect on 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 have 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. Satterwhite Chiropractic considers this when caring for Oxford cervical spine pain patients with a hearing loss or deficit.

CHIROPRACTIC HELP FOR Oxford HEARING LOSS RELATED TO CERVICAL SPINE ISSUES

Since that first chiropractic adjustment in 1895, chiropractic has recorded improvement for more cases of hearing issues. A study of 90 patients who experienced cervicogenic sudden hearing loss recorded that those who underwent 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 associated with 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 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 gratifying outcomes that Oxford hearing loss patients could embrace! Satterwhite Chiropractic is up for the chance to help!

CONSIDER Satterwhite Chiropractic FOR RELIEF

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

Schedule a Oxford chiropractic appointment to see how Satterwhite Chiropractic may help improve cervical spine problems, neck pain and even possibly cervical spine related hearing loss.