My Tinnitus Is Definitely Caused by Something in My Neck — Maybe the Scalene Muscles?

My tinnitus is not noise-induced as far as I know. Someone said scalene muscles could be at work here.

So after seeing some success with twisting my neck every which way, I woke this morning with no noise (oh, there is, just not the crippling noise - only the small one I can bear). It's been 2 days with tinnitus and before that 2 days of no tinnitus, and before that 5 days of tinnitus. So... I thought that I had been able to twist to the right to relieve tinnitus on the left side (not instantly, but much later). This morning though I had woken with a normal lie-on-my-side position and my tinnitus much reduced. So this is a normal turn-to-the-left side position - contrary to my theory. So there goes my theory!

How can I set up sleep experiments so that I can know whether it is neck twist, sinus fluid movement, head position, body position (sympathetic tinnitus), or what?

Do I set up a camera every night to record myself and watch back hours of video to see what is going on?

If I wake with no tinnitus then I must review the video, but if not then I must review the video anyway and see what went wrong? Or if I hear my tinnitus for a second day then I don't bother because nothing changed, but if it does change THEN I review the video?

I don't know how to figure out what is going on.

If it IS scalene muscles then how do I test or record this?

 

My tinnitus is definitely caused by something in my neck.

Once when I brushed teeth and went for the tongue scrape and dry reached because of it (still with me?) then I heard a snap which seemed to come from the base of my head at the back at the top of the neck.

Again the other morning I woke up but lay on the pillow - on my left side. Dreamily I noticed that if I turned slightly into the pillow the tinnitus became louder, and if I returned to the first position then it became softer.

Getting out of bed took an effort because there was no way I was going to turn my head and get that tinnitus back. And it did not return until the next day.

So my tinnitus is back of course. Back means loud hissing like "cicadas or crickets", and softer means "so low that I can hear it but doesn't bother me". BUT usually it bothers me a lot.

But what now - who do I need to see to fix it permanently? Is it physio? Some cranial manipulation?

I could see a doctor and get a referral to a specialist, but which? What do I ask for when I don't know what to ask for?

If I can accidentally fix it, even for a short time, then maybe I can fix it for longer or completely?

Any thoughts?

 

Hi,

Hoping to help as someone with extensive spinal injuries. I dealt with severe chronic neck and upper back pain for years until I found Prolotherapy/PRP. I would recommend getting a cervical MRI if you can or a Digital Motion X-ray which would be even better.

The question I never asked was why are these different muscle groups in my neck and shoulders constantly in spasm? The answer was connective tissue instability throughout my rib cage and spine.

I say all this because despite the fact that I resolved most of my severe chronic pain with Prolotherapy thoracic and cervical treatments, I never treated my upper cervical (C0-C2) because I was unable to obtain a digital motion X-ray until now. Upper cervical instability can lead to a host of problems, tinnitus being one of them which I have now suffered with for over 2 weeks. I also still have scalene and SCM spasm most likely due to my upper cervical instability which should resolve after a few Prolotherapy treatments hopefully.

 

Did prolotherapy help you?

 

Yes, immensely. I highly recommend it. It took me from nearly disabled to functioning again. Avoid any unnecessary orthopedic or back surgeries if you can.

 

Thanks for responding. Did it help with your tinnitus at all? Or just other symptoms? I’m nearly a year into this painful process and it’s only getting harder.

 

It did not help with my tinnitus but I believe my tinnitus is due to an underlying disease/auto immune condition. I’m very sorry to hear that you’re still struggling with tinnitus, Dr. Susan Shore is on the way and I think her work will be a breakthrough for most.

 

Thank you for responding. I really appreciate it. I hope you find some relief for your tinnitus soon.

 

Thank you kindly. It’s visual symptoms now that are destroying my life. I appreciate the thoughts and prayers. My vision spins and is like a tunnel.

My wishes are with you for a speedy recovery as well.

 

My research has led me to the following mechanism for me: cancer drugs>muscle wasting and bone density reduction>forward head posture>TMJ, tension, nerve irritation>tinnitus/noxacusis. I can change my tinnitus and ear pain with upper body maneuvers as well.

I am currently developing a physical therapy routine to address the structures that get short and tense and those that get long and weak. The scalenes come up on almost every list as part of this structural dysfunction. I have had a temporary setback because I just had a large tumor removed from my chest and that has made the whole thing worse for a while as I protect my chest and favor the very thing I need to fix. Once I heal it's back to the program. In a nutshell your lengthening the front and side of the neck, opening up the chest and strengthening the structures in the upper back and neck. At the most extreme version of forward head posture the apparent weight of your head increases from 12 to 42 pounds and that's where all the tension, knots, pain and inflammation comes from, trying to deal with all this weight at the top of the spine. We'll see if I get any relief from my ear pain. It has started before my surgery and I can already tell you that this is no quick fix.

George

 

Often without noise exposure, a sudden neck injury is cause of hearing loss/tinnitus and more so if neck problems already exist.

Cervical muscle spasms from lifting or turning neck often to the left can cause C spine straightening, upper ligament damage, atlas imbalance, suboccipital nerve and suboccipital muscle damage and vertebral artery narrowing.

The muscle rectus capitis minor muscle is often tied to spinal cord interference. Sternocleidomastoid muscles, usually the left can spasm straightening the C spine from lifting head and turning head to the left.

All this can also cause Eustachian tube muscle problems, jaw problems, clogged or stuffed ear, headaches, dizziness, feeling weird, distortion, and many other facial/head problems.

Meniere’s disease and arthritis can develop on average of 12.5 years after a neck injury. Good head posture is then needed to prevent this.

Ninety percent of those that use a computer are not using proper posture. Some studies say the number is ninety-nine percent. @GeorgeLG, I believe I gave you some sites for posture and neck concerns.

Some with neck injuries may experience hypertension, anxiety or panic attacks that will cause eye/vision problems. I have twenty-two hypertension certifications and have written many posts about this, including the aspects per pulsatile tinnitus, eye/vision problems, cervical veins and arteries and the abdominal aortic.

I also have several certificates for TMJ/mouth problems, cervical conditions, veins and arteries, feet and leg trauma and medications.

Predicting the Risk of Hearing Impairment Following the Cervical Spine Diseases by Measuring the Cervical Range of Movements: A Pilot Study - PMC (nih.gov)

 

Yes you gave me a site resource and I have included it in my research to develop a plan.

Thanks,
George

 

I think I have narrowed the cause of my tinnitus down to cervical instability and all of what you said above rings true. I started stretching the muscles thinking the problem was tension and this just made all my symptoms worse, especially tinnitus which went from a volume of 40 to about 120, that wasn’t fun. I have not stretched for a while and I’m now realising that whenever I do any neck exercises my neck gets a little swollen on that side and I get a globus sensation, specifically in that area. So I’m thinking it’s actually muscle weakness which is causing the problem rather than tension. I think it’s partly genetic (migraines run in my family and I’ve had them since I was 12) and then poor posture and stress put on top.

I’m currently waiting for my appointment with a specialist so we can get some imagery taken. I also have a prolotherapy consultation, I’ll keep you all updated.

 

@Greg Sacramento, have you written anything about one pupil being smaller than the other on the affected side? I have suffered with this since being a teen but it’s become more noticeable over the years. Could you please also share the neck and posture info with me?

Many thanks.

 

There's been others that mentioned neck stretching, straightening or muscle stretching has been problematic. Neural cervical problems, with neck stretching from whiplash and forward head posture can cause irritation of the sympathetic nervous system and that can cause or increase hearing loss.

Others with vascular problems with narrowing of the vertebral arteries caused by hypertension besides having neck injuries such as a straighten C spine also need to be careful with stretching the neck. Vertebral arteries carry blood up into the head. If blood flow is comprised, sudden hearing loss may result.

With any neck therapy, if you get a sudden headache - quit.

 

I don’t think the neck can cause ear problems.

 

I’m not a doctor, but I think you’d be surprised. Meniere’s disease is a prime example of a symptomatic inner ear condition that’s successfully being treated for many people through upper cervical chiropractic manipulation.

 

If I rapidly shake my head from side to side, the low-frequency hum that I hear will stop temporarily as if the hum is being interrupted. But as soon as my head is motionless, the noise returns again.

I've never been to a chiropractor, and I don't have any neck pain. But I'm wondering if some kind of "adjustment" might help. I have no hearing loss, and my tinnitus isn't the result of an injury. It just started one night out of the blue. (In my other posts, I go into more detail about my long history with this affliction).

 

Neck adjustments have different classifications. Most doctors that practice Interventional Radiology and Neurology will advise against any adjustment or procedure that involves twisting the neck - as force resistance trauma can happen, including vein, artery, spine and ligament damage. Certain types of ligament damage will heal, but other trauma can cause more concerns.