Duration

It is not possible to give an exact duration for the occurrence of tinnitus in cervical spine syndrome. Some field reports describe a short, rather muffled ear noise with deep tones in combination with joint complaints of the cervical spine. In contrast, circulation problems in the vessels that are located in the cervical spine and affect the hearing organ have been found to be more persistent symptoms with high-pitched tones. In the case of tinnitus lasting more than 24 hours, a doctor should be consulted, even if it is not a life-threatening emergency per se.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of tinnitus is usually made relatively quickly through the patient consultation. It is more difficult to find the cause of the tinnitus. In spite of the simultaneous presence of cervical spine syndrome, other causes for the presence of tinnitus should be excluded.

With the help of an ear microscope, the outer ear can be examined up to the eardrum and the presence of foreign bodies and changes in the auditory canal can be excluded if necessary.With tuning fork tests, the hearing ability of both ears is tested, whereby a distinction can be made as to whether the problem is in the outer or middle ear, or whether it is in the inner ear (perception of sounds). The creation of a sound threshold audiogram provides information about the frequency range in which the ear noises are perceived, since there is usually a reduced sound perception in the same frequency range. If the suspicion that the cervical spine syndrome plays a role in the development of the tinnitus is confirmed, imaging techniques may be used under certain circumstances to indicate a reduced blood supply to the cranial nerve nuclei.

Therapy

Since the suffering pressure is usually very high in the presence of tinnitus, the treatment of the sounds is usually very important for the affected persons. However, a therapy for an existing tinnitus is not always successful. The advantage of having a cervical spine syndrome at the same time is that the ear noises can be traced back to the cervical spine syndrome with a high degree of certainty.

For this reason, the therapy of the cervical spine syndrome is the main focus in these cases. In some treated persons, the ringing in the ears can be improved or even disappear completely, if the cervical spine is treated with specific physiotherapy. By improving the blood flow to the affected cranial nerve nuclei, or by relieving the affected nerve connections, it is hoped that the ringing in the ears will also disappear. It should be noted that a clear connection between the cervical spine syndrome and the tinnitus is not always given. For this reason, other causes that could explain the presence of tinnitus should also be thoroughly clarified by the treating physician.