Sydney, Australia: Tinnitus from Neck Injury — Active Vibration Left Ear: Help Please

Hello. My tinnitus began 9 months ago (Nov 2017). My neck was pushed while my neck and face were hard-turned left. I began hearing static my left ear. When it began it was only when I leaned down and to the left. It is now frequent and intermittent.

SYMPTOMS
- intermittent
- left ear only
- like something living/alive in my left ear. I feel vibration with the static, sometimes pain when there is a pulsatile end beat like "bam" which knocks me.
- stops abruptly
- starts with click, click, click (or tick,tick, tick,) then cascades into static and stops abruptly.
- cascading static, sometimes with a 'crackle' quality at end.
- however if I do 'plough' yoga position or rag doll flop forward, my hearing is fine, no static.
I'm being treated for possible Middle Ear Myclonus. Taking carbemazapine/Tegretol (400mg daily), is better on this than off. I tried Ginko Tebonin for 3 months and it did nothing.
- I am to be a candidate for the tenotomy operation (sectioning of middle ear muscles).

I am in Sydney Australia. Have seen 3 ENTs and a neurologist. All say don't know or want to dismiss me as normal tinnitus. I am desperate, I can't live with this for life.

Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone please?
I'd be very grateful for your ideas.

 

@ShellyW Hi Shelly. It seem like it's your spinal accessory nerve that passes thru the trapezius and sternomastoid muscles which allows the head to tilt and rotate. Along with injury to the seventh cranial nerve that innervates the stapedius muscle in the middle ear. It most likely pressure to your spinal accessory nerve with minor seventh cranial nerve involvement in description of what you said. You may have some hyperacusis going on as well with association to the seventh cranial nerve.

If this continues and your ears become sensitive to sound then physical rehabilitation is needed. Your about at the point to have a neurologist set you up with PR. Don't worry this type of injury has promising results with just a few sessions of rehab therapy.

 

@GregSacramento Thankyou very much for your very detailed reply. It's MUCH appreciated (more than the 3 ENTs have said!).

I've hyperacusis in ears. What type of physical rehabilitation please? Targeting where please?
Sincere thanks, ShelleyW

 

@GregSacramento Sorry, I meant to type, I've NO hyperacusis in ears.

 

@ShellyW That is good that you don't have hyperacusis from your repositioning of neck that you described with association to onset of tinnitus. This would mean that there little direct involvement to your seventh cranial nerve. The spinal accessory nerve is so often related to all that you mentioned.

A CT and X Ray of neck would be needed for more therapy beyond gentle muscle therapy. Stretching and posture exercise and then add slight pulling of SCM muscles a week or two later. There are SCM pulling, posture and stretching video exercises on You Tube. Try some of the simple sitting exercises where there is no turning of neck. Try upward neck movement with shoulders relaxed and proper posture. There is probably some fiber nerve networks at play along with the spinal accessory nerve which is the cause of your tinnitus, but muscle therapy should help relieve that. If this does not help with weeks, then a neck X Ray is needed for c-spine position.

 

@GregSacramento Hello, further sincere thanks for replying. What is SCM please?

I have MRIs of brain and cspine/thoraic spine, Bone CT, Nasal CT, xrays of cspine and thoraic spine.Next I am having an MRA of the head and neck. None have shown any abnormality. Chiropractor (who has done no manipulations) commented perhaps smaller space between C1-2 other than that all who have looked at my MRIs and xrays say I've good posture and no degeneration.

I notice:
- tinnitus different in bed when lying prone
- different when walking and neck stretched (does not on set while walking and in this position)
- cannot sleep on left side anymore because of onset when leaning down and to the left

Anymore insights are gratefully received. Thank you for them so far.
Shelley

 

@ShellyW Hi Shelly: Take the palm of your and very gently rub down the muscle in this link. Start from the top side of neck down to front lower side of neck. Do this on left side but slightly tilt your head to the right to see if your tinnitus or ear sounds change. Your tests have rule out most everything that could have happened from injury. A MRI would not always rule out a spinal accessory nerve being pressured by muscle in link, but a CT would.

http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/muscular/sternal-head-sternocleidomastoid-muscle

 

thank you

 

@GregSacramento Thankyou though I didn't find stroking that muscle made a difference.
What kind of therapist would deliver the muscle therapy you mentioned please?

I have intermittent sound and pain.
Thanks for kindness in writing.

 

@ShellyW A physical therapy doctor for muscle treatment. Someone with several years of experience. I wouldn't get spine manipulation, just muscle strengthening and stretching.

 

Thank you