Cervical Spine Related Hearing Loss and Neck Pain Relief with Chiropractic

The timeless account of the first chiropractic adjustment by DD Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, involves the hearing restoration of a deaf janitor after spinal manipulation. (1) So interesting! Today’s research reports help describe and corroborate the connection of hearing and cervical spine pain issues. Johnson Chiropractic hears reports of improvement in Richmond chiropractic patients for seemingly unrelated things that brought them into Johnson Chiropractic for chiropractic care. Patients are elated! Johnson Chiropractic is ecstatic for them. Let’s study this side-effect of hearing loss recovery after chiropractic spinal manipulation.

THE HEARING AND CERVICAL SPINE CONNECTION

Hearing loss is not that rare with cervical spine problems. The connection of cervical spine and hearing has been discussed in the medical publications for years and years. In 1994, one author submitted an idea of the existence of a “vertebragenic hearing disorder” that accompanies with tinnitus, a feeling of ear pressure, otalgia and deafness due to functional deficit of the upper cervical spine. He tied conditions like cervical vertigo and hearing disorders in 15% of patients with cervical spine issues and hearing losses of 5 to 25 decibels in 40% of them. (2) Richmond chiropractic patients report such conditions occasionally, so Johnson Chiropractic is not shocked at all.

Cervical spine issues can affect ear vessels and/or nerves causing hearing loss, vertigo or tinnitus. Cervical spine injuries can cause pain and limits in range of motion. The likelihood of hearing loss in patients with limited left rotation ability is high. Such hearing loss after a cervical spine injury is more common in men. (3) Additionally, there is indication of interaction between the somatosensory and auditory brainstem structures, a pathway joining the cervical spine to hearing function. Researchers are seeking ways to define the pathway and understand better how spinal nerves like those of C2 (the second cervical spine segment) have an effect on auditory responses (hearing). They have found projections from C2 dorsal root ganglion extending to the cochlear nucleus. (4) Patients who have Kimmerle’s anomaly – an anatomical variant of the first cervical segment (C1) – often experience chronic tension-type headaches and neurosensory-type hearing loss. (5) What does this say about the connection between hearing and the cervical spine? A connection. Johnson Chiropractic considers this when treating Richmond cervical spine pain patients with a hearing loss or deficit.

CHIROPRACTIC HELP FOR Richmond HEARING LOSS RELATED TO CERVICAL SPINE ISSUES

Since that first chiropractic adjustment in 1895, chiropractic has recorded improvement for more cases of hearing issues. A study of 90 patients who experienced cervicogenic sudden hearing loss recorded that those who underwent chiropractic treatment in addition to routine medical care bettered their hearing and alleviated their neck pain effectively after 10 days of care. (6) A case of hearing loss and tinnitus associated with cervicogenic neck pain in a female patient whose hearing and tinnitus were improved after having chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment. On a scale of 0 (no problem) to 10 (complete impairment), she graded her issues a 7 at the beginning of care and a 1 at the end of 5 months of care. An audiogram was normal, too. (7) These are satisfying outcomes that Richmond hearing loss patients could embrace! Johnson Chiropractic is up for the opportunity to help!

CONSIDER Johnson Chiropractic FOR RELIEF

Listen to this PODCAST about how Cox Technic alleviates cervical spine related neck pain and shoulder pain.

Schedule a Richmond chiropractic visit to experience how Johnson Chiropractic may help ease cervical spine issues, neck pain and even potentially cervical spine related hearing loss.