Hi Tinnitus Talk,
It's been a while since I visited these forums (I was previously just a lurker), but I've been thinking about how, during my worst months with tinnitus, this place was a real source of comfort. I feel I owe it to the community to share my story and eventual success because many people do not come back to post once they have fully healed.
It has been several years since I went through this journey, so the timeline may not be perfectly accurate, but this will give you a clear picture of what I experienced, what I tried, and what ultimately worked for me.
Spoiler: It was cervical chiropractic treatment.
(Note: My tinnitus was not caused by auditory overexposure or hearing loss, so this likely will not apply to those cases.)
December 2020: I First Notice Tinnitus
I had returned home from university to my parents' house for Christmas break. While lying in bed, I noticed a low frequency sound with no clear direction. I had been looking forward to the silence of their rural home and was shocked that it was not silent at all. My university apartment had background nightlife noise, so I am unsure when the tinnitus actually began.
I assumed the noise was due to travel fatigue and went to sleep. The next morning it was still there. I was reassured it would go away, but it persisted through the following days, weeks, months, and eventually years.
After a week, I saw a doctor hoping for an easy fix, like earwax. But there was nothing. Over the next month, I tried every over the counter "solution" I could find. I changed my diet to reduce inflammation, avoided earbuds and loud environments, and did everything possible to prevent worsening. My tinnitus was not loud (maybe 3 or 4 out of 10), but it was constant, like an electrical buzzing or pulsing.
Winter 2021: Doctor Visits, Failed Solutions, and Coping
These events took place while I was home on breaks from school. I had a full hearing test, expecting some loss to explain the tinnitus. Instead, I was told my hearing was better than average. That was a relief, but it left me confused.
I saw two ENT specialists, a tinnitus expert, and even looked into TMJ. No one could explain what was wrong or offer a real solution except for expensive coping equipment. I later had a middle ear infection treated and thought maybe the tinnitus would disappear with the infection. It did not.
Emotionally, I was struggling. I only slept from physical exhaustion and would wake up anxious the moment I heard the sound. I lived in constant distraction, terrified of psychologically spiraling. Doing puzzles helped. I also occasionally wore noise canceling earmuffs made for rifle shooting, which oddly blocked most of the sound.
April 2021: Aural Fullness Appears
The tinnitus began changing. It became louder in one ear, which was different from before. This change was distressing, but it made me hopeful that if the tinnitus could worsen, maybe it could improve too.
Around this time, I began experiencing aural fullness after waking up, which was even more distressing than the tinnitus. Eventually, I noticed the fullness went away if I sat up straight, which made me wonder if head or neck positioning was involved. I experimented with sleep posture, and although the fullness persisted, its severity varied.
I visited an ETD specialist, but my tests were normal. I had more earwax removed at an urgent care clinic, which slightly relieved the fullness in one ear but caused temporary crackling that lasted weeks. Both the fullness and crackling eventually went away on their own.
July 2021: Supplements and CBD
Still desperate, I tried various supplements and CBD gummies. The gummies helped with anxiety, but I was hoping for physical improvement, which did not happen.
August 2021: First Chiropractic Visit
My experience with aural fullness convinced me the tinnitus might be nerve related, not an issue inside the ear. I hoped chiropractic adjustments would relieve pressure on those nerves. While I did need spinal adjustments, they had no impact on the tinnitus.
Fall 2021: Partial Habituation
It took nearly a year to begin habituating. I still avoided silence and hated noticing the sound, but I could function and enjoy life more. ASMR videos helped me fall asleep, not just by masking the sound but by shifting my focus. I began to notice the tinnitus less and less.
February 2022: Cervical Chiropractic Treatment Begins
I read a buried story about someone who cured bilateral tinnitus through cervical chiropractic care. This was my last hope. By now I was mostly habituated and had accepted the idea of living with tinnitus forever, but I felt I had to try everything.
For those unfamiliar, cervical chiropractors work with the top of the spine where it meets the skull, specifically the atlas and axis vertebrae. General chiropractors typically do not treat this area.
Once again, I was found to be severely misaligned. I received one adjustment and several follow up visits, though only one additional adjustment was needed. The treatment held well.
Summer 2022: Treatment Ends, Improvement Begins
I stopped the appointments once it became clear the adjustments were holding. The results were remarkable. The tinnitus was still there, but quieter. I had already accepted that it might never go away, so this improvement was a huge win.
This confirmed my theory. I had likely misaligned my neck badly enough to compress nerves involved in the auditory system. This created uneven feedback, which caused my tinnitus. Releasing that pressure gave my nerves time to recover, and the signal gradually weakened.
June 2025: Tinnitus Is Gone
Four and a half years after the onset and three years after the cervical chiropractic treatment, my tinnitus is completely gone. I only experience minor temporary elevations from inflammation. The constant sound, the phantom noise, is entirely gone.
Improvements continued gradually over the years. It makes sense in hindsight, as nerve healing can take several years.
Final Thoughts
I know not everyone has this type of tinnitus, but I hope my story gives someone encouragement. It can take time. I hope all of you find peace or healing. This was a hard journey, but it taught me so much about this condition and about inner strength.
I was lucky. My symptoms were low in volume and frequency. Many of you suffer far worse, and I have deep respect for anyone living with this condition. You deal with invisible symptoms that are often dismissed by the medical community. No one hears what you hear. No one else feels the exhaustion or mourns the silence.
I am walking away with silence restored, but I will not forget my experience or yours. In the end, this made me more resilient and more empathetic. I wish you all the very best. <3
—AA
It's been a while since I visited these forums (I was previously just a lurker), but I've been thinking about how, during my worst months with tinnitus, this place was a real source of comfort. I feel I owe it to the community to share my story and eventual success because many people do not come back to post once they have fully healed.
It has been several years since I went through this journey, so the timeline may not be perfectly accurate, but this will give you a clear picture of what I experienced, what I tried, and what ultimately worked for me.
Spoiler: It was cervical chiropractic treatment.
(Note: My tinnitus was not caused by auditory overexposure or hearing loss, so this likely will not apply to those cases.)
December 2020: I First Notice Tinnitus
I had returned home from university to my parents' house for Christmas break. While lying in bed, I noticed a low frequency sound with no clear direction. I had been looking forward to the silence of their rural home and was shocked that it was not silent at all. My university apartment had background nightlife noise, so I am unsure when the tinnitus actually began.
I assumed the noise was due to travel fatigue and went to sleep. The next morning it was still there. I was reassured it would go away, but it persisted through the following days, weeks, months, and eventually years.
After a week, I saw a doctor hoping for an easy fix, like earwax. But there was nothing. Over the next month, I tried every over the counter "solution" I could find. I changed my diet to reduce inflammation, avoided earbuds and loud environments, and did everything possible to prevent worsening. My tinnitus was not loud (maybe 3 or 4 out of 10), but it was constant, like an electrical buzzing or pulsing.
Winter 2021: Doctor Visits, Failed Solutions, and Coping
These events took place while I was home on breaks from school. I had a full hearing test, expecting some loss to explain the tinnitus. Instead, I was told my hearing was better than average. That was a relief, but it left me confused.
I saw two ENT specialists, a tinnitus expert, and even looked into TMJ. No one could explain what was wrong or offer a real solution except for expensive coping equipment. I later had a middle ear infection treated and thought maybe the tinnitus would disappear with the infection. It did not.
Emotionally, I was struggling. I only slept from physical exhaustion and would wake up anxious the moment I heard the sound. I lived in constant distraction, terrified of psychologically spiraling. Doing puzzles helped. I also occasionally wore noise canceling earmuffs made for rifle shooting, which oddly blocked most of the sound.
April 2021: Aural Fullness Appears
The tinnitus began changing. It became louder in one ear, which was different from before. This change was distressing, but it made me hopeful that if the tinnitus could worsen, maybe it could improve too.
Around this time, I began experiencing aural fullness after waking up, which was even more distressing than the tinnitus. Eventually, I noticed the fullness went away if I sat up straight, which made me wonder if head or neck positioning was involved. I experimented with sleep posture, and although the fullness persisted, its severity varied.
I visited an ETD specialist, but my tests were normal. I had more earwax removed at an urgent care clinic, which slightly relieved the fullness in one ear but caused temporary crackling that lasted weeks. Both the fullness and crackling eventually went away on their own.
July 2021: Supplements and CBD
Still desperate, I tried various supplements and CBD gummies. The gummies helped with anxiety, but I was hoping for physical improvement, which did not happen.
August 2021: First Chiropractic Visit
My experience with aural fullness convinced me the tinnitus might be nerve related, not an issue inside the ear. I hoped chiropractic adjustments would relieve pressure on those nerves. While I did need spinal adjustments, they had no impact on the tinnitus.
Fall 2021: Partial Habituation
It took nearly a year to begin habituating. I still avoided silence and hated noticing the sound, but I could function and enjoy life more. ASMR videos helped me fall asleep, not just by masking the sound but by shifting my focus. I began to notice the tinnitus less and less.
February 2022: Cervical Chiropractic Treatment Begins
I read a buried story about someone who cured bilateral tinnitus through cervical chiropractic care. This was my last hope. By now I was mostly habituated and had accepted the idea of living with tinnitus forever, but I felt I had to try everything.
For those unfamiliar, cervical chiropractors work with the top of the spine where it meets the skull, specifically the atlas and axis vertebrae. General chiropractors typically do not treat this area.
Once again, I was found to be severely misaligned. I received one adjustment and several follow up visits, though only one additional adjustment was needed. The treatment held well.
Summer 2022: Treatment Ends, Improvement Begins
I stopped the appointments once it became clear the adjustments were holding. The results were remarkable. The tinnitus was still there, but quieter. I had already accepted that it might never go away, so this improvement was a huge win.
This confirmed my theory. I had likely misaligned my neck badly enough to compress nerves involved in the auditory system. This created uneven feedback, which caused my tinnitus. Releasing that pressure gave my nerves time to recover, and the signal gradually weakened.
June 2025: Tinnitus Is Gone
Four and a half years after the onset and three years after the cervical chiropractic treatment, my tinnitus is completely gone. I only experience minor temporary elevations from inflammation. The constant sound, the phantom noise, is entirely gone.
Improvements continued gradually over the years. It makes sense in hindsight, as nerve healing can take several years.
Final Thoughts
I know not everyone has this type of tinnitus, but I hope my story gives someone encouragement. It can take time. I hope all of you find peace or healing. This was a hard journey, but it taught me so much about this condition and about inner strength.
I was lucky. My symptoms were low in volume and frequency. Many of you suffer far worse, and I have deep respect for anyone living with this condition. You deal with invisible symptoms that are often dismissed by the medical community. No one hears what you hear. No one else feels the exhaustion or mourns the silence.
I am walking away with silence restored, but I will not forget my experience or yours. In the end, this made me more resilient and more empathetic. I wish you all the very best. <3
—AA
