Whistling, ringing, buzzing, hissing, hissing, creaking... those affected by tinnitus experience it in many ways, with sounds being both loud or quiet and high or low in frequency. Tinnitus is any ear noise perceived only by the person concerned and for which there are generally no external sound sources.
Symptoms can occasionally occur and disappear again. Sometimes onset is gradual with occasional occurrences ranging up to the permanent ear noise; tinnitus can also emerge suddenly and acutely however. Ear noise may occur in one or both ears. It may be combined with dizziness, hyperacusis (sensitivity to noise) or hearing loss. The impairment of the quality of life is very different depending on the factors mentioned.
Causes:
Acoustic Trauma
Trauma caused by noise accounts for the largest share of up to 30%. Concerts and discos with a noise level of more than 80 decibels can already cause acoustic trauma. Noise pollution in the workplace can also be a trigger. Damage of the hair cells within the inner ear disturbs sound transmission. Immediate acute treatment by an ENT specialist is important. In most cases, an infusion treatment is carried out in order to improve the perfusion.
Sudden Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is often combined with tinnutis; sometimes these noises remain even after healing.
Morbus Meniere
Morbus Meniere is a seizure-related vertigo that can be combined with deafness and tinnitus. Here, damage also occurs in the inner ear.
Problems of the cervical spine and temporomandibular joints
Experience tells us that disorders in the area of the cervical spine can make tinnitus worse, but this is less frequently the sole cause of tinnitus. The temporomandibular joint, on the other hand, can cause tinnitus quite easily. The masticatory musculature has a direct connection to the Eustachian tube, and any disturbance that increases the tension of the masticatory muscles, such as and grinding the teeth, or even poorly fitting prostheses, stresses the temporomandibular joint mechanically.
What is the relationship between tinnitus and the cervical spine and/or temporomandibular joint?
Functional disorders in the area of the head joint, as well as degenerative processes on the cervical spine, almost always affect circulatory supply of the vertebral artery. This is especially important for the inner ear and the cerebellum.
Tendon joint problems, as already discussed, can cause tinnitus. The trigeminal nerve, which supplies the temporomandibular joint, has nuclei in the area of the head joints; both problems can thus interact neurophysiologically.
There is also a purely mechanical connection with postural habits. Both regions, temporomandibular joint and cervical spine, must therefore always be considered and treated.
Another cause is stress-induced tension in the shoulder girdle and cervical spine.
Appropriate treatment approaches in physiotherapy and osteopathy
- Specific treatment of dysfunctions of the cervical spine and temporomandibular joint, as well as the associated functional chains and disorder mechanisms. This requires comprehensive functional analysis that involves the spine, pelvis and lower extremities.
- Treatment of muscle tension disorders Deblocking the upper cervical segments, targeted massage, stretching of neck muscles and locally applying heat are all ways to improve blood circulation and reduce tension.
- Coping strategies Progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobsen (physiotherapists); influence on the autonomic nervous system via yoga breathing techniques (by physiotherapists); autogenic training (psychologists or doctors)
- Craniosacral therapy For the treatment of tension problems in the area of the skull, the cerebral and spinal cord (dura). Again here, excessive tension reduces the supply of structures in the skull.
Of course, physiotherapy and osteopathy represent only one building block in the overall concept of tinnitus treatment. Coping strategies are used especially in chronic forms of tinnitus. These strategies should enable the affected person to shift the ear noise into the subconscious. Generally, the quicker a patient receives therapy, the more successful it is.
