Somatic Tinnitus, Let's Talk About the Symptoms

@Greg Sacramento

I have a lot of fillings. My implants were fitted in 2014 and 2018.

I can link each tinnitus escalation point with acoustic trauma, although there is also bruxism, TMJ and who knows what else. Also I have had chronic nasal congestion for most of my life.

I really appreciate your time looking at my posts.

 

Hi @Tinniger, @Suzerman and other fellow "somatic" tinnitus warriors, may I consult you on a query?
I am wondering if my tinnitus falls into a separate category altogether. Many people come forward to say they have tinnitus that can be "modulated". However in my case, my tinnitus is provoked each time I contract or tense up on a certain muscle.... almost as if I am disturbing a nerve / blood vessel. Only certain head movements and rotations provoke, and only when I clench my right molar. Because at my resting position (with my chin slightly up) my nerve might be slightly perturbed, I hear a slight hissing when at my resting position.

Based on what you've observed, is my"somatic" tinnitus the regular kind? When I am walking and my muscles are contracting, I hear it on and off depending on the contraction of my neck muscles.

I am asking this question because if "somatic" tinnitus were provoked by nerve irritation, then theoretically if I give it time for my system to calm down, then then this should resolve?

Because I've been doing all kinds of bending and flexing of my neck since yesterday, I feel that my tinnitus is spiking, perhaps because of overstimulation of the nerve? I will be seeing a neurosurgeon (brain and spine) tomorrow to see what he says... I am so desperate for a workable theory as to why I am suffering my current symptom, in order not to sink into depression. Today was a particularly bad day, due to the stress of inadequate sleep over the past 3 weeks, and I was literally on the verge of breakdown when I made a desperate attempt to call a neurosurgeon who tells me that he can examine me tomorrow to see if I have a pinched nerve. I had an MRI carried out by an ortho who tells me that tinnitus arising from pinched nerves would be accompanied by other symptoms (e.g. pain, numbness, tingling) and I don't have them... hence I'm thinking may just irritated, not pinched? AM HOLDING ON THE THE HOPE THAT I HAVE AN IRRITATED NERVE provoked by my chiropractic neck adjustment, as all other theories scare and confuse me too much. You can read about my detailed condition here: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eck-adjustment-3-weeks-ago.40098/#post-514405

 

So the tinnitus is unilateral and it's not pulsating, okay?
I ask this because chiropractic maneuvres can sometimes cause a vascular dissection, which generates pulsatile flow noise.

One difficulty with the term somatosensory tinnitus begins with its definition:
Is the somatosensory system the cause of the tinnitus?
Or can somatosensory structures influence any other type of tinnitus?

In my case, even slight pressure on trigeminal nerve endings of the head causes/enhances a loud hissing sound. And the "continuous hissing" seems to be only a subset of this hissing. On good days this subset is so quiet that you can miss it. On bad days it is a horror.

As so often, - the question always remains: Is it right to massage/move the structures that increase the tinnitus, - or is it better not to touch the structures? Immobilization or movement therapy?
I am not sure...

 

Is it common that somatic aspects of tinnitus change? I could modulate (make it louder) my tinnitus if I tilted my head forward and to the right side and felt that only my right ear experienced volume to go up. Now it's almost the complete opposite. Sound increases in my left ear if I tilt my head to the left. I'm not too concerned about it, just seems weird.

 

Can't speak for everyone, but the behavior of my somatic T has changed regularly. I suppose this is due to my neck exercises at the time. Most changes were for the better though, no regrets here: I'm in favor of movement therapy, with a bit of care.

 

Hi @Tinniger
My tinnitus is pulsatile and unilateral, which I got immediately after chiro neck manipulation. I hear a high pitch hiss (punctured tire) which spikes when I bend my neck in certain directions or contract certain muscles (all pointing towards the left side of my neck where the ringing is heard).

 

@Wheella Unilateral and when turning head to left side can indicate either the internal jugular or the vertebral artery. The carotid artery may not cause unilateral sounds as that is usually only heard on opposite side. I doubt that it's a major compression >50% of your internal jugular from your injury. One test to note if it may be the carotid - is to hold your breathe for s few seconds and see if sound increases by 30 percent. If not, it may be your vertebral artery.

With a neck adjustment injury or other neck muscle spasm injury causing loss of lordosis - C spine, it would point more towards the vertebral artery or subclavian.

Age and lifestyle is important, and I doubt that you have vascular narrowing and blood flow problems. So, your PT is from injury alone.

You probably don't have a tear if it's the vertebral artery - just compression from changing C spine due to a neck adjustment injury and therefore no other vascular problems are probably complicating matters. Compression problems would sound like a punctured tire.

One initial test for neck arteries compression or blockage percent would be ultrasounds. Other tests as suggested by your neuro should also be done for injury or disease, but it appears that damage was done from an injury - C spine neck injury - (neck adjustment) and that would point more to the vertebral artery than any other artery. If your C1/C2 is tilted more to the right side and a slight bulge at the C4/C5 or C5/C6, then that would relate to C spine injury.

Just my take, but testing is always needed.

 

@Wheella Try some Magnesium Glycinate 400 to loosen neck muscles that may be placing pressure inwards toward your C spine. 1/3 of a tablet taken every eight hours. Also a warm, not hot compress applied lightly and gently to the back of your neck for a few minutes every 4 hours when awake. Control posture head bending. This is worth a shot.

 

Hi @Greg Sacramento
Thank you so much for your kind advise, this is very much appreciated!

 

I still have some noises increase/decrease based on posture, and often one comes from bowing my head to look down (this disappears eventually as I keep my head up again).

My neck also crackles with nearly any motion - turning my head causes noise especially when I look to the right. Nodding causes similar crackling, as does moving my head from one shoulder to the other. Sometimes my neck will also pop loudly when I do this.

I still don't know whether my ETD (and other blockages) are more at fault or suspected neck injury.

 

Stop telling me my symptoms already, it's like I'm talking to myself with you

 

To be honest, it's nice to have someone who relates to my symptoms so much Just makes it easier to find possible causes and ways to find relief.

This isn't so much a tinnitus noise but just like my neck, chewing and opening my mouth makes the joints crack and pop a lot. Now I've had this for years with little to no pain, still don't unless I've been chewing a LOT of gum. Either way something around this entire area is messed up and with certain things confirmed, I'm confident this is where tinnitus all comes from.

Having such somatic tinnitus is weird though, because often any movement that makes it MUCH louder or softer is an accidental one and I can never replicate it.

 

I have the impression that the daily tinnitus intensity fluctuations have a somatic background.
I suspect that the fluctuations have to do with the position in which the jaw or neck was in the deep sleep phase.

But it could also be an imagination.

 

Another weird thing - when I'm lying down in bed and massage my neck just below my left ear (one that won't pop) I get a ticking noise and usually a lot of drainage into my throat.

The crackling when I swallow often seems to be gone in the morning but returns when I've had something to eat/drink...

These aren't necessarily related to my tinnitus noises, but still very strange lol.

 

Same here if I apply a certain posture with my head on the pillow. Tend to ignore it now though, prefer to sleep

 

Do you think it means anything that my tinnitus seems to be becoming less somatic? Volume is more or less the same, recently got a new sound as well, so I wouldn't say it's improving, but it's less somatic. Mine is most probably either noise or stress induced, but my neck's been cracking for ages, have a straightened (is this the term for it?) lordosis, but I guess everyone who spends 8+ hours sitting has it.

 

Maybe you could try physiotherapy. It could make a difference. Neck tension, cramps, bad posture, etc influence tinnitus.