Tinnitus Caused by Chiropractor — Looking for Answers

[strange_loop]

Hello,

I just discovered this wonderful forum and been reading a few threads. There was no story similar to mine so here I am posting my questions.

Long story short: I recently caught tinnitus after one month of adjustments at the chiropractor. It was 2 adjustments per week and nobody told me it was way too much. After one month I suddenly developed tinnitus and immediately stopped going when I finally understood that the chiro has caused it.

2 weeks after that it started to fade away. Then I noticed a weird bump on my neck, right above the vertebrae. I thought it was muscular (or worse, something wrong with the bone - I'm no doctor but everything is possible and I get anxious easily). I went to see an osteopath I visited many times before without any problems.

She checked the bump, didn't know what it was, and then she did a vigorous massage of a very tensed shoulder muscle, and some gentle stretching of the neck + checking the upper vertebrae by making my head turn both ways... asked her if it might cause the tinnitus to spike, she laughed and said no.
The next day I visited a doctor who told me not to worry about the bump. Should have just seen the doctor because the same evening I went to see the osteopath the tinnitus was back, and now it's louder that it was before, it's in both ears, and it doesn't stop ever.

I just don't understand what is going on. Is it the nervous system that's all other the place, or a damaged muscle somewhere ? The ENT did an exam and nothing seems wrong in my ears.
Supposedly osteopathy and whatnot may help with tinnitus, in my case it just created it. Never had tinnitus before in my life, or only for a few hours after a loud concert.

Doing everything I can not to let the anxiety take over but I can't help but blame myself and wish I could go back in time and not be that stupid. Anyway it's livable in the day, but I have big trouble sleeping with that noise (I was used to sleep with earplugs and in complete silence), and overall not thinking about it all day long. It's hard for me not having any control over this.

So if anyone here has any idea or a similar experience... I'd like to understand. Thank you and good luck to all.

 

[Tweaker]

You may find it better sleeping without earplugs now that you have tinnitus, as many people find the tinnitus increases with earplugs in because external sounds are being blocked out. This is the case for me certainly. I have no experience with chiro or osteopath but tinnitus can be linked to neuromuscular issues. You may find it settles with time, and best to let your body rest for a while without further manipulation. Hope it calms down for you.

 

[strange_loop]

Thanks a lot. Might very well be a neuromuscular issue, but I don't know how to address it. What do I need to do to help things to settle down? Actually with or without earplugs doesn't make that much of a difference in a quiet room, plus I focus on the noise in both cases. I'll try without though, it might make things a bit better.

 

[JohnAdams]

Sue the chiropractor.

 

[strange_loop]

Yeah I thought about it but I think he made me sign some sort of consent form beforehand. I did not have the faintest idea that things could go this wrong. Also suing the f*cker won't make my tinnitus disappear...

 

[Don Tinny]

Anyway it's livable in the day, but I have big trouble sleeping with that noise

Now just take care of your ears. Believe me, it´s horrible when you hear it all the day and everywhere.

 

[strange_loop]

Well I hear it everywhere, it's just that when I move and walk it's milder because there are lots of distractions for the brain. But in the evening at home it sounds just like an ear trauma : a constant loud buzzing in both ears. Feeling extremely stressed and depressed right now.

 

[Dana]

So if anyone here has any idea or a similar experience... I'd like to understand. Thank you and good luck to all.

You have muscular or somatic tinnitus. From an injury in the neck during chiropractor session. Funny or not, the treatment is the same, trying to fix the injury (physiotherapy, not that idiot chiropractor).

Some people say their tinnitus improved with the chiropractor, some people got it this way.

 

[strange_loop]

You have muscular or somatic tinnitus. From an injury in the neck during chiropractor session. Funny or not, the treatment is the same, trying to fix the injury (physiotherapy, not that idiot chiropractor).

Some people say their tinnitus improved with the chiropractor, some people got it this way.

Thanks a lot for the advice. I was planning to wait for as long as it takes until the muscles heal, but I don't know if that's the best option. I know a guy who's had tinnitus for over a year after being hurt by another idiot chiro (he didn't do anything after that because he was afraid it might worsen the tinnitus), so that wasn't reassuring.

 

[linearb]

What kind of chiro work were you having done, did it involve upper c-spine c1/c2 stuff?

If you'd had some kind of very very minimal existing tinnitus and this made it worse, I'd have a lot more ideas. Chiro adjustment actually causing T... we clearly need @Greg Sacramento in this thread!

 

[strange_loop]

Yeah it involved upper-c spine adjustments, absolutely. Maybe I could have had a very very minimal tinnitus beforehand, without even noticing it anymore, because I now know (after visiting the ENT 2 weeks ago) that I have a hearing loss in my left ear that apparently happened before the chiro induced tinnitus. My current tinnitus is bilateral though.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

What kind of chiro work were you having done, did it involve upper c-spine c1/c2 stuff?

If you'd had some kind of very very minimal existing tinnitus and this made it worse, I'd have a lot more ideas. Chiro adjustment actually causing T... we clearly need @Greg Sacramento in this thread!

Thanks @linearb for the tag. C spine adjustments are often dangerous.

Never have a c spine adjustment with pulsatile tinnitus or physical tinnitus where there is suspected issues with veins, arteries and cranial nerves. The vertebral arteries are housed within the C spine.

C1 C2 area and (components) should be carefully and gently treated when centering is off and this should only be considered if the jaw is misaligned with having jaw and throat discomfort and/or severe TMJ.

With tinnitus, outward extension muscle therapy needs to carefully considered, but never pressure neck muscles by pressing them against the C spine.

It's often best with degenerative issues and often with tinnitus to just use correct posture and no forward neck extension. Using a shoe pad in one shoe may be quite beneficial if one leg is shorter is shorter than the other.

Cool compresses for new injuries and later warmth compress care for muscles, but warmth may not be best for those with cervical nerve, vein and artery issues.

Many times neck muscle issues improve on their own from injury and whiplash. Whiplash patients must be just as careful of loud noise as those with just hearing loss tinnitus.

Somatic tinnitus is often related to neck, jaw or both. With this or any physical tinnitus that may (could) relate to neck or jaw, X rays of neck is needed to check the neck frame - the C spine.

A radiologist often can note if a damaged C spine has caused other cervical problems. A CTA has radiation and a MRA is loud, but with serious injury - testing may be needed. Neck ultrasounds for those with pulsatile tinnitus.

One must be very careful with healthcare, therapy procedures and prescribed medications. Also most in healthcare don't know about your complete medical history and one example of a thousand is they don't check to see many previous CT scans that you had. With tinnitus issues, multiple CTs ( radiation) increase problems or cause a host of other problems.

Many of us there have discussed healthcare and all the stupid, unsafe things that they do, where they would be more careful with a loved one.

Always research yourself. If it's a vitamin or drug, place the name and a condition that you suspect - together into an internet search. Always place conditions together side by side into an internet search.
Examples - Vitamin A and vision problems. Neck pain and tooth pain.
Also use the term - what causes - and state the problem cause into an internet search. You may need to read many professional articles to find all associations and connections.

 

[strange_loop]

Thanks a lot Greg for that useful post.
I'm updating my thread because I'm having some new mysterious symptoms.
- vibration inside both ears : it doesn't feel like tinnitus, more like a loud vibration inside my head, maybe due to muscle spams in my ears. It's almost worst than tinnitus because it's much harder to mask or ignore.
- it seems to be generated by sound, and it can hurt sometimes (dunno if it's the sound that hurts as well but I hope not)
- it appeared a couple of days ago, I have no idea why. I was having tinnitus for about a month yet, with no hyperacusis so far.
If anyone experienced this kind of thing... the ENT thinks it's muscle spasm in the middle ear. That's all... I started taking magnesium, for what it's worth.

 

[Dip]

Hi Strange_loop,

How are you now? Is your tinnitus any better? I also went to Chiro and she told me I have issues with C1 C2 in my neck and needs adjustment. I have had tinnitus since 2018.