Tinnitus Triggered by Muscle Tension, Neck Strain and Possible Nerve Damage

[Skybird]

I have had tinnitus for over a month. I went to an ENT (otolaryngologist), who noticed that my neck muscles were extremely tight. He gave me a referral for massage therapy. I have had chronically tight neck and shoulder muscles for more than 10 years. The ENT suspected that my tinnitus might be related to inflamed muscles pressing on nerve and blood pathways. I had noticed that when I self-massaged my neck, the tinnitus got worse, but I was going to go ahead with massage therapy anyway.

At my chiropractor's office, which I had not visited in nearly a year, they do offer massage therapy, but you need to see the chiropractor first. The chiropractor believed he could fix my tinnitus. He gave me a quick massage to loosen my muscles and then used a tool with two contact points to give me a long and intense adjustment. Afterward, I felt very loopy and could barely walk. My tinnitus was present but very light at that moment. However, that night, it became much worse, possibly the worst it had ever been. I later read that this kind of spike can happen.

The tinnitus remained just as bad the next day and for half of the following day. Finally, it subsided. The ringing became intermittent and much quieter.

After doing some research, I found that this spike may have been caused by overstimulation of my nerves from the pressure of the adjustment. This would also explain why self-massaging my neck had made the tinnitus worse. That was last week. Since then, the tinnitus has come and gone each day but is always worse when I lie down to sleep. It usually takes about an hour for it to quiet down enough for me to fall asleep. On the nights when it was loud from the chiropractic adjustment, I had to take Ativan, which helped me sleep. However, Ativan is addictive, and my doctor will not prescribe much of it, so I cannot rely on that.

Yesterday, I decided to try using my massage pad, which is about four feet long. Unfortunately, it made my tinnitus worse again. It is not as loud as after the chiropractic adjustment, but it is still more constant and louder than it had been before. It was a bad decision to use the pad, but I was trying different ways to find relief. I am hoping, as with the last spike, that it will settle down within two and a half days.

My tinnitus originally started after using Debrox earwax softener. At first, I thought the Debrox itself caused it, but now I believe otherwise. The instructions say to tilt your head sideways and keep the solution in your ear for several minutes. I dislike directions that say "several minutes" because that is vague. It could mean two minutes or seven. I tilted my head with my extremely tight neck muscles and held that position for at least a minute, maybe longer. Then I repeated the process with the other ear. I did this two or three times a day for two days, and that is when the tinnitus began.

Now I believe I understand what happened. Tilting my head sideways for an extended time, with already tight neck muscles, may have caused damage to the C2 and C3 nerves. These nerves connect to the great auricular nerve, which is the main nerve for the ear. No doctor has confirmed this, but I suspect it is the cause.

I am going to start taking Magnesium supplements, which can help by widening blood vessels, and I will also begin using Turmeric powder, which is a strong anti-inflammatory. I plan to ask the ENT or my primary care doctor for a prescription anti-inflammatory and, hopefully, a muscle relaxant. I will also request a referral to physical therapy to learn exercises that can repair the nerve damage and help relax my neck and shoulder muscles. I may also ask for a referral to a neurologist.

I will share any progress as I go. So far, I have gotten some relief from Ibuprofen (such as Advil). The Ativan helps as well, along with eating, standing instead of sitting, eating dark chocolate, doing cervical tinnitus neck exercises I found online, and staying calm. That last one, staying calm, is very difficult.

I feel deeply for everyone who is isolated and lonely because of tinnitus. It is a terrible condition, and it has made me cry and feel hopeless, not only because of the tinnitus itself. I live alone and have no friends to support me. Ironically, I am a care aide who takes care of others, but I made the mistake of not caring for myself. I should have been exercising, making friends, spending time in nature, and focusing more on my own well-being outside of work.

As care aides, we are told to remember a lesson. If the oxygen masks drop on an airplane, we must put ours on first so we can help others. Why is that so easy to forget? Maybe this awful tinnitus experience will teach me that once and for all.

I will continue to post updates as things progress.

 

[Sodlin]

I have had tinnitus for over a month. I went to an ENT (otolaryngologist), who noticed that my neck muscles were extremely tight. He gave me a referral for massage therapy. I have had chronically tight neck and shoulder muscles for more than 10 years. The ENT suspected that my tinnitus might be related to inflamed muscles pressing on nerve and blood pathways. I had noticed that when I self-massaged my neck, the tinnitus got worse, but I was going to go ahead with massage therapy anyway.

At my chiropractor's office, which I had not visited in nearly a year, they do offer massage therapy, but you need to see the chiropractor first. The chiropractor believed he could fix my tinnitus. He gave me a quick massage to loosen my muscles and then used a tool with two contact points to give me a long and intense adjustment. Afterward, I felt very loopy and could barely walk. My tinnitus was present but very light at that moment. However, that night, it became much worse, possibly the worst it had ever been. I later read that this kind of spike can happen.

The tinnitus remained just as bad the next day and for half of the following day. Finally, it subsided. The ringing became intermittent and much quieter.

After doing some research, I found that this spike may have been caused by overstimulation of my nerves from the pressure of the adjustment. This would also explain why self-massaging my neck had made the tinnitus worse. That was last week. Since then, the tinnitus has come and gone each day but is always worse when I lie down to sleep. It usually takes about an hour for it to quiet down enough for me to fall asleep. On the nights when it was loud from the chiropractic adjustment, I had to take Ativan, which helped me sleep. However, Ativan is addictive, and my doctor will not prescribe much of it, so I cannot rely on that.

Yesterday, I decided to try using my massage pad, which is about four feet long. Unfortunately, it made my tinnitus worse again. It is not as loud as after the chiropractic adjustment, but it is still more constant and louder than it had been before. It was a bad decision to use the pad, but I was trying different ways to find relief. I am hoping, as with the last spike, that it will settle down within two and a half days.

My tinnitus originally started after using Debrox earwax softener. At first, I thought the Debrox itself caused it, but now I believe otherwise. The instructions say to tilt your head sideways and keep the solution in your ear for several minutes. I dislike directions that say "several minutes" because that is vague. It could mean two minutes or seven. I tilted my head with my extremely tight neck muscles and held that position for at least a minute, maybe longer. Then I repeated the process with the other ear. I did this two or three times a day for two days, and that is when the tinnitus began.

Now I believe I understand what happened. Tilting my head sideways for an extended time, with already tight neck muscles, may have caused damage to the C2 and C3 nerves. These nerves connect to the great auricular nerve, which is the main nerve for the ear. No doctor has confirmed this, but I suspect it is the cause.

I am going to start taking Magnesium supplements, which can help by widening blood vessels, and I will also begin using Turmeric powder, which is a strong anti-inflammatory. I plan to ask the ENT or my primary care doctor for a prescription anti-inflammatory and, hopefully, a muscle relaxant. I will also request a referral to physical therapy to learn exercises that can repair the nerve damage and help relax my neck and shoulder muscles. I may also ask for a referral to a neurologist.

I will share any progress as I go. So far, I have gotten some relief from Ibuprofen (such as Advil). The Ativan helps as well, along with eating, standing instead of sitting, eating dark chocolate, doing cervical tinnitus neck exercises I found online, and staying calm. That last one, staying calm, is very difficult.

I feel deeply for everyone who is isolated and lonely because of tinnitus. It is a terrible condition, and it has made me cry and feel hopeless, not only because of the tinnitus itself. I live alone and have no friends to support me. Ironically, I am a care aide who takes care of others, but I made the mistake of not caring for myself. I should have been exercising, making friends, spending time in nature, and focusing more on my own well-being outside of work.

As care aides, we are told to remember a lesson. If the oxygen masks drop on an airplane, we must put ours on first so we can help others. Why is that so easy to forget? Maybe this awful tinnitus experience will teach me that once and for all.

I will continue to post updates as things progress.

I have also noticed that my tinnitus becomes much worse if I stretch the muscles or massage myself. Trigger point release or stretching of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle, in particular, can aggravate my tinnitus for days.

If you find any solution, please keep us informed!