Chiropractic and Tinnitus: Is it a Viable Treatment?

Tinnitus is a tricky condition no one seems to know the cause, or how to effectively treat that 'ringing in the ears'.

Traditionally, tinnitus treatment ranged from changes to diet and lifestyle, hearing aids, behavioural therapy, and even electromagnetic stimulation. But none of these remedies have been proven to definitively improve or alleviate tinnitus symptoms.

Chiropractic care for tinnitus is not something that immediately comes to mind as a viable tinnitus treatment. According to clinical trials involving chiropractic treatment for tinnitus, however, the discipline has been found to ease the symptoms of tinnitus.

How Chiropractic Treatment for Tinnitus Works

Experts believe tinnitus is not the actual condition, but a symptom a symptom of a bigger problem in a person's body. That means the issue doesn't reside in the ears per say, but from another area of the body. Often, tinnitus appears to surface from troubles in the back or spine.

Other clinical studies suggest a proper balance between the head and neck of a patient may relieve tinnitus symptoms, which can be achieved through chiropractic adjustments. Some individuals found the ringing in their ears manageable though still present after just one chiropractic adjustment.

Case Studies Involving Chiropractic Care for Tinnitus

• This 2002 study involving a 41-year-old woman with bilateral ear pain, vertigo, and tinnitus, showed substantial improvement in her symptoms after nine visits to her chiropractor. This falls in line with experts that believe a misalignment of the spine may be the cause of tinnitus symptoms; the woman in this case sufferent both cervical subluxation (misalignment within the uppermost vertebrae of the spine) and temporomandibular disorder (jaw joint and muscle pain).
   
• Another case study from March 2012, published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, showed how a 52-year-old man with Meniere's disease and associated symptoms of tinnitus found relief through chiropractic care.
  
  After the first adjustment, he noted a small improvement to his tinnitus. He went for another four adjustments, and after five weeks of chiropractic treatment for tinnitus, he said his condition improved by about 60%, and enjoyed a tremendous reduction in musculoskeletal pain.
   
• In this 2014 case study, a 46-year-old woman suffering from neck pain, tinnitus, and hearing loss found no relief from cervical spinal manipulation. After eight months of unsuccessful tinnitus treatment, she decided to try chiropractic treatment for tinnitus, and saw (heard?) her hearing and tinnitus symptoms significantly improved. Amazingly, she was asked on a scale of 0-10 - with 0 being no hearing deficit, and 10 being completely impaired - she initially cited her symptoms as a 7. Following the conclusion of her chiropractic care for tinnitus she lowered her rating to a 1. Her audiogram following her treatment confirmed her hearing had returned to normal.

If you've tried everything to get that aggravating ringing out of your ears but nothing seems to work, give Dr. Lanoue a ring. Our chiropractic care for tinnitus includes realigning your spine, and finding balance between your head and neck which may relieve your troublesome tinnitus symptoms.

Contact Dr. Lanoue's office today!