Although by far the most common reason for tinnitus, or unwanted noise in the ear, is hearing loss, neck tension, previous neck injuries or even jaw problems can cause tinnitus . This is called somatic tinnitus . The reason we think this may be occurring is because of a crossover of nerve input to the brain from the neck. Somewhere in the back of the brain nerves from the neck interact with nerves from the ear and this causes the unwanted noise.
Patients frequently present to our clinic after some type of neck injury, and they have noticed that their ears are ringing, frequently only on one side. Chronic neck issues such as bad posture from working on a computer all day long can also cause tinnitus. Chiropractors frequently see this same exact issue and physical therapy is the most common treatment recommended. I have referred many patients for dry needling , and the tinnitus disappears immediately!
Please come see us if you have noise in your ears! We would be happy to help!